What We Found In The Ashes
by Argyle.S
Summary: Kara runs into Maggie at a crime scene, and over the course of the next few months, they become tentative friends. When Alex's mind wipe starts to take an emotional toll on Kara, she'd turns to Maggie for comfort, and finds herself falling for the last person she ever expected.
1. Call To Action

Author's Note: This is a gift for Iamsuperconfused as part of the Super Santa Femslash 2019 exchange over on AO3.

No betas, we dye like wmoen!

Seriously, this is unbetaed, and probably a complete mess. I just ran out of time. There are 12 chapters written as I post this, and probably about 8 more on the way. Apologies to Iamsuperconfused for not having her gift finished on time, but hopefully, having steady supply of Kara/Maggie for the next little while will make up for that. I have no idea what posting schedule I'll use for this.

I am not at all sure how much sense this story will make if you haven't watched season four, as the various scenes weave in and around the episodes, but hopefully, you'll be able to enjoy it.

Prompt: "Against all odds, you're all mine." I'd want something that sticks to the show's universe, maybe an alternate timeline or reality where they find their way together in some way. I'd like something intensely romantic or erotic (at your convenience for this kind of pairing).

* * *

November 26, 2018

Kara wasn't in the mood for this. All she wanted was an order of pot stickers to sooth her mood after the latest Children of Liberty manifesto had dropped on YouTube. More hate spewed out to fan the fires that had been building ever since President Marsden had been outed as an alien. More than anything Kara wanted it to stop. She wanted the world to go back to making sense.

Everything had been going so well, until this Agent of Liberty character had come along.

But now, instead of the Chinese buffet she loved and a couple of steam trays worth of potstickers, she was responding to gun fire on her lunch break and judging by the sheer volume of fire being exchanged, it was going to be a nasty incident.

She spotted the scene a few blocks out. Dozens of cops taking cover behind the barely there protection of their police cars while several people fired at them from inside a poured concrete industrial building. If the cops tried to advance on the building, it would get nasty, and they would get hurt. Her first instinct was to go right in, but she checked herself. Some lessons only needed to be learned once. She tapped her comms.

"Brainy, this is Supergirl. I'm responding to a shootout at Paxton and Cardwell down in Nation's Bay. Can you put me through to the sight commander?"

"Patching you through now."

"Supergirl, do you read?" Maggie asked.

"Maggie?" Kara asked, more than a little shocked by the sound of the once familiar voice.

"Yeah. We need some help down here."

"I'm ready when you are. Just tell me what you need."

"How about you put a Supergirl shaped hole in the roof, and kick their asses for me?"

Kara smiled. "That, I can do." She dived for the roof of the building, hands out in front of her to keep the debris from messing up her hair.

* * *

"Incoming!" Maggie shouted at the top of her lungs. A moment later, a blue and red streak dropped out of the sky like a bomb coming specifically to ruin the bad guy's day. There had been a time or two when Maggie hated that sight, but today, it felt like blessed salvation.

"Bell, get on the horn and see where SWAT and the buses are," Maggie ordered. Bell reached for her radio, and Maggie looked down at her own sleeve, drenched in blood and sighed. She was going to have to ruin a jacket, because she wasn't going to talk to Kara looking like she'd just caught a bullet. Especially when she just caught a bullet.

* * *

Kara smiled brightly as she dropped the last of the goons in a pile outside of the building, then headed over towards where she saw Maggie standing. She frowned a little at the sight of Maggie wearing a big, police issue windbreaker over her tac gear, because she remembered Maggie hating anything that restricted her movement during a fight. It wasn't even cold, either. Seventy degrees.

She supposed it might be Maggie's size. She was small, and she had always run a bit cold. Something Kara knew, both by Alex's repeated complaints about cold feet in bed, and by the simple fact that Kara could see far enough down into the infrared to tell that Maggie's normal body temperature was a bit lower than average for a human.

"Hey, Supergirl," Maggie said as Kara stopped in front of her.

"Hey, Detective Sawyer. It's been a while."

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Anything we need to watch for inside?"

"About a hundred kilo's of Semtex," Kara said. "The place was wired. I pulled the detonators and trashed the firing circuit, so the building should be safe enough, but I'd still have the bomb squad do a check before I sent in the CSI's. They had a lot of serious hardware in there. I'm surprised you didn't have SWAT."

"Yeah. This was supposed to be a simple search and seizure. We got word the Children of Liberty were stockpiling more of the IR masks from the Thankgiving incident here, and we were coming to grab them and whoever was babysitting. We didn't expect a fucking army."

"This was the Children of Liberty?" Kara asked.

"That's what our source said."

Kara looked back at the warehouse, for a moment, and did another scan with her X-Ray vision. "At least it wasn't led lined."

"Yeah. Good thing."

Kara turned back to Maggie, but as she did, she caught a whiff of blood, and her eyes went wide. She looked Maggie over with her X-ray vision, and immediately spotted the gash on her left arm.

"You're hurt!" Kara said.

"I'm grazed," Maggie said. "I've got two guys who caught it center of mass."

"You need me to run them to the hospital?" Kara asked.

"Pistol hits. They took it on the vest. I've got buses on the way. They'll be fine."

"Good, then you have time to let me patch up that arm," Kara said.

"Aren't you the wrong sister for that?"

Kara shrugged. "I've been taking classes."

"First aid classes at the Y don't teach you to patch bullet holes."

"No," Kara said, before zipping over to Maggie's cruiser at super speed, grabbing the first aid kit out of it, then zipping back. "But the combat medic field training course at the DEO does include how to clean a bullet wound and apply a pressure bandage. Now, are you going to take off the jacket, or are you going to make me?"

"Fine," Maggie said. "But if you try to use Celox on me, I will kick your Kryptonian ass."

* * *

As doctors went, Maggie had to admit that Kara was probably one of the better ones she'd seen. She was careful as she cut away the sleeve of Maggie's shirt. She used one of the saline eye wash ampules to irrigate the wound, then slapped the Israeli bandage over it and cinched it down tight.

"There," Kara said. "You still need to go to the hospital, but the pressure should stop the bleeding."

"That you, Doctorgirl," Maggie said.

Kara groaned. "Please don't ever let Cat hear you say that."

"Not like we run in the same circles these days."

"You'd be surprised, the circles Cat is running in lately," Kara said. "How have you been?"

"Aside from shot? Not too bad. What were you doing out here, anyway?"

"I was on my way to that Chinese buffet we used to go to for lunch when I heard the gunshots."

"You skipped out on pot stickers to come save me? I'm not sure whether to be flattered or ask who you are and what you did with Supergirl."

"Hey!" Kara said. "You're family. You come first."

Maggie stiffened, not quite sure she believed what she'd just heard.

"You should go get lunch," Maggie said, trying to keep the anger out of her voice.

"No," Kara said. "I'll wait with you until the ambulances get here."

"I'm fine," Maggie snapped.

Kara frowned in that way she had when she didn't quite understand something. "You're upset."

"No, I'm not," Maggie said. "But you've done everything you can here, and I'm sure you've got better things to do than babysit a group of cops."

"Okay," Kara said, that frown still on her face. "But if you ever need me. Just call. Okay?"

"Sure," Maggie lied.

Kara seemed to clue into the fact that it was time for her to go. Something Maggie was grateful for. Kara stepped back and floated gently up into the air without the backwash Maggie has seen a few times in Kara's more energetic takeoffs. Maggie just hopped down off the hood of her car and went to check on her crime scene.

* * *

Kara stopped somewhere around a thousand feet and looked back down at Maggie, wondering what she'd said to cause such a sudden and dramatic change in Maggie's demeanor. The whole thing was frustrating, because she had thought for a moment they were actually getting along. Something that was a rare occurrence in their relationship, but which had always made Kara smile when it happened.

She knew she'd gotten off on the wrong foot with Maggie, and she even admitted that was her fault. She'd been cold to her the first time she met her as Kara Danvers, because Maggie had hurt Alex, and Kara always hated anything that caused Alex pain. The jealously hadn't helped. She'd come back from helping Barry and found that all of Alex's attention was suddenly focused somewhere else. She'd wanted to be happy for Alex, and at first, she had been, but the longer it went on, the more she'd felt like she was losing her sister. Right up until the night she had lost her.

She and Maggie had spent the far too much of that awful night arguing over how to help Alex, but it was also the first time Kara had felt hope that she and Maggie night be able to build the kind of relationship that she and Alex had. When they'd both knelt down next to Alex after they freed her from her water filled cage, something had changed between them, the same way something had changed between her and Alex after Kenny's death.

But she'd never really gotten a chance to build on that. Too much had come at her too quickly. The Daxamite invasion, putting Mon-El in the pod. Her own grief, and then Alex's decision to end her relationship with Maggie.

She'd tried to reach out afterwards, but her calls had gone straight to voicemail, her texts hadn't been answered, and when she'd asked one of the officers at a scene why Detective Sawyer wasn't around, they told her she'd transferred to Hub city.

She played back the conversation over again in her head as she watched Maggie run the scene and realized the change had happened right after she'd told Maggie she was family.

Kara closed her eyes for a moment as she realized her mistake. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, taking one last look at Maggie before she headed off to find lunch. If Maggie was back in town, then with any luck, they would see each other again, and she could try to make things right.

She just hoped nothing happened with the Children of Liberty before they could get this sorted.


	2. Rather The Fallen Angel

December 5, 2018

Maggie stared down at her phone, not quite able to believe the sheer idiocy she'd just read. She'd never really been James Olsen's biggest fan. She hadn't really gotten to know him until after the Guardian debacle started, so she didn't have the best first impression, but deciding to spend time with the Children of Liberty to understand their point of view was a new level of idiocy. You didn't try to understand people like the Children of Liberty, any more than you tried to understand the Klan or skinheads. You just shut them down, locked up as many of them as possible, and hoped they didn't get a chance to recruit before you did.

She was tempted to go over to CatCo and slap him upside the head and call him a moron before she slapped the cuffs on him, and if a hands-off order hadn't come down from on high, she'd do just that. But what worried her more was the part of the story where the Children of Liberty had managed to lure Kara to Shelly Island and trapped her while she was under the effects of the power dampening pilons.

After their little run in the week before, Maggie had been more than a little pissed at Kara. But reading the article had been a kick in the gut. Not quite the same way watching the footage of Reign beating Kara down had been the year before, but enough that she wanted to reach out and check on her. She just didn't know how.

She and Kara had never really gotten along. In her better moments, she could admit that it was as much her fault as it was Kara's. Neither of them were very good at sharing their toys. Kara had resented that she suddenly didn't have a monopoly on Alex's time. Maggie could understand that, and she could appreciate how hard Kara was trying. She could see her struggling to tamp down her jealousy, could spot the smiles that never quite reached her eyes when Alex was talking about some plans she and Maggie had together, and she felt for her. She's wanted to reach out, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She had never quite forgotten the fact that when push came to shove, Alex had chosen Kara over her. The fact that Alex had come back, had apologized, had explained why she had freaked out so badly when Kara went missing hadn't really damped the sting of being cast aside so quickly after she'd taken such a huge risk and broken her iron clad 'don't date baby gays' rule.

She'd thought, after Alex's kidnapping, they'd finally been headed in the right direction, but then the invasion had happened, and Kara had lost Mon-El, and she'd just shut down, and before things had gotten better, everything fell apart between Maggie and Alex, and her entire life had collapsed in on itself. She'd lost Alex, and a whole family along with her. J'onn, and Winn, and James, and Eliza and Kara.

It had made the last year hard. Seeing the news reports, seeing someone she cared about, because she had cared about Kara, beaten, broken and constantly in danger and not being able to reach out, to do something, to help. Knowing that, even if it was Kara in the news, other people she cared about would be out there with her, in danger, risking their lives. That they might die, and she'd never know.

Being on the outside looking in sucked, but it wasn't like she could just pick up the phone anymore. That was the story of her life, though. Love someone, get tossed aside. Because she was gay. Because her girlfriend didn't want to come out to her family. Because she'd been hurt and angry and drunk and made a mistake. Because she didn't want kids.

Little Maggie, who was never enough for anyone, but was so desperate to be loved that she would let herself fall for someone knowing that it would end in disaster.

And Kara had just stood there and called her family. Like she cared. Like Maggie mattered to her. Like there wasn't a bottomless chasm of broken dreams and empty promises between them.

The worst part was, Kara had reached out afterwards. A few texts Maggie had deleted unread, a few voicemails she'd never listened to. She's been hurting, and Kara had been too close to the source of the pain for Maggie to want anything to do with her. She didn't want false concern.

There was a small part of her that wanted to believe that Kara wasn't like that. She'd watched Kara up close for months, and she knew as frustrating as Kara could be sometimes, that she was the real deal. She gave so much of herself to other people and believed so strongly in them that it was humbling.

She wanted to believe that Kara cared, but the pain had been too fresh, and all she could see was the danger she'd ignored when she got close to Alex.

She looked down at her phone again, looking at James' article, wondering if maybe she wasn't being fair to Kara. It was hard to know. If it were anyone else she would have just assumed it was a few perfunctory texts and calls to assuage Kara's conscience. But Kara was never quite like anyone else Maggie had ever met.

Maggie sighed and pulled up her contact list. Kara had said she could call, but Maggie wasn't quite that brave, so she sent a text.

Maggie: Hey. Saw James' article. Are you okay?

Kara: I've been better.

Maggie: What's wrong?

Kara: I trusted someone I shouldn't.

Maggie: You want to talk about it?

Kara: Yes.

Maggie: There's a donut shop near my place.

Kara: You are the best! Text me the address.

Maggie sent her the address, wondering what the hell she was doing the whole time.

* * *

Kara frowned as she spotted Maggie in the back corner of the shop. She'd thought the gunshot wound she'd treated wasn't that serious, but Maggie was sitting there with her left arm in a sling. Kara made her way over to the table where Maggie was sitting.

"Hey," Kara said as she sat down.

"Hey," Maggie said. "You still pumpkin spice, extra foam, with cinnamon?"

"You remembered," Kara said, not quite able to stop herself from smiling.

"I do that. Comes with the job."

"Softy," Kara said.

"Keep that up, and I'll eat all the strawberry glazed with sprinkles myself."

Kara narrowed her eyes. "You do and I'll melt your face."

Maggie laughed. "I thought that threat was reserved for pot stickers."

"Donuts are serious business."

"I'm a cop. You'll get no argument from me on that one."

Kara grinned and reached for the box of donuts in the middle of the table. "What happened to your arm?" she asked as she got one of the aforementioned strawberry glazed with sprinkles.

"I got shot, remember?"

"Yeah, but it was a graze. It didn't even hit the muscle."

"I know, but there was some sort of coating on the bullet. It left behind a bunch of tiny silica particles. Some kind of alien moon dust. They had to debride the wound, to get it out. I'm out on medical leave for the next few weeks, until it heals."

"I'm sorry," Kara said.

"Not your fault. In fact, you probably saved my arm."

"What?"

"When you irrigated the wound," Maggie said. "The lab guys said that if you hadn't, the pressure bandage probably would have driven the particles into the muscle, and it would have been hamburger by the time I got to the hospital."

"That doesn't make any sense," Kara said. "The Children of Liberty I faced on Shelly Island were strictly low tech. Garage built AK's with automatic trigger groups, shotguns, a few hand-me-down revolves and semiautomatic pistols, a couple of newish Glocks. Gun show and street gang stuff. What you're talking about is serious high-tech weaponry."

"I know," Maggie said. "I think we might have gotten the stash they were planning to use against you on Shelly Island."

"That would be the first bit of luck I've had in months," Kara said.

"What happen out there?" Maggie asked. "James's article didn't have much in the way of details. Just that they got you inside the power inhibitor field and managed to trap you."

"Yeah, and now, every Supervillain from now to the end of time is going to know inhibitor pylons work on me, and fill their bases with them," Kara grumped. She took a bite out of her donut. She chewed slowly, and avoided looking at Maggie, until after she swallowed.

"I was stupid. I walked into a trap."

Maggie gave her the same annoyed look she used to give her when they were about to argue over whether Supergirl should have interfered in a certain situation. "I'd say that's not like you, but we both know I'd be lying."

"It's not," Kara said. "At least, it's not anymore. I messed up really, really bad during the whole business with Reign. I've been trying to do it the right way. Work with the DEO. Go in with backup. I screwed up again a few weeks ago, and it messed up everything, so I've been trying to do it right. But it was different this time. I had backup. I had a plan."

"What happened?"

"I trusted someone I shouldn't have," Kara said. "Have you seen the warrants for Manchester Black?"

"Yeah. They were… vague."

"That's because the DEO issued them."

"I figured."

"I was working with him. His girlfriend, Fiona Bryne, went missing a few weeks ago. He and J'onn were working the case together, but by the time they found her, it was too late. The Children of Liberty had killed her. Manchester came to Thanksgiving dinner, and he helped me out when the Children of Liberty tried to steal some fission rods. He said he wanted to help, to bring the Children of Liberty to justice. I thought he found a piece of evidence, so I went to meet him, but I caught him about to beat someone up with a pair of brass knuckles. When I saw that, I was done with him. I told him I wouldn't work with him anymore but J'onn convinced me I was wrong. That Manchester was on our side."

"I'm guessing he wasn't."

"No. I knew Shelly Island had inhibitor pylons. I didn't worry about it because I had a yellow sunlight grenade. Manchester sabotaged it. He walked me right into a trap, and just handed me over to the Children of Liberty."

"After they killed his girlfriend?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah."

"Why would he do that?"

"He wanted a meet with Agent Liberty."

"So he could kill him?"

Kara nodded. "That's our guess. And he traded my life for the chance to do it."

"Jesus, Kara. I'm sorry."

Kara reached out and picked up a napkin and started folding it. "I don't… I… I know I shouldn't be. J'onn already feels terrible about it. He wanted to believe in Manchester, which I get, but I'm just so… *angry*. I knew something was off about him, but I let myself be talked out of it, and I'm mad at J'onn for doing it, and I'm mad at myself for letting him do it, and I'm mad at Manchester for selling me and all the people I help out for revenge."

"You know that's okay, right?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah…. No… I don't even know anymore… It's hard, you know. I'm angry, but I can't talk to J'onn about it, because he already feels horrible, and I can't really lay into him about trusting someone like that without coming across as a giant hypocrite, and I can't talk to Alex about it because if she knows I'm mad at J'onn, she's try to fix it, so J'onn will find out anyway, and I just don't have it in me right now to deal with his guilt. Not while Manchester and Agent Liberty are still out there."

"Kara, I'm going to say this again, because it really sounds like you need to hear it. It is okay for you to feel what you're feeling."

Kara dropped the napkin she'd folded into a tiny little square while she'd talked and let out a sigh of relief. "I really needed to hear that."

"I figured," Maggie said. "But it really is okay, you know. Sometimes, you just don't have the emotional bandwidth for dealing with other people's feelings. That doesn't make you a bad person. You go out there, and you give a lot of yourself. More than you probably should. It's okay to keep a little for yourself."

Kara looked up at Maggie. "I don't know what to do. There's so much going on, and I don't know how to deal with it all. Alex is supposed to be the director of the DEO, but President Baker put this horrible woman in charge, and Alex is struggling to keep the DEO from turning into a bunch of murder happy fascists. J'onn has decided to go off and be a pacifist when things are starting to get really bad. Clark's off world, so I'm trying to cover the whole planet without backup. Winn's gone. James is determined to get himself arrested or killed playing Guardian. Nia, this girl I'm supposed to be teaching how to be a reporter, has got a serious medical problem and is lying about being in treatment. Everything Marsden has built is being torn down by a bigot in a mask, and I shouldn't be dumping all of this on you."

"It sounds like you really need to get it out of your system."

"Yeah. But I don't want you to think that the only reason I wanted to see you was to have someone to listen to me complain."

"It wasn't?"

"No," Kara said. "I know it upset you for some reason, but I meant what I said the other day. You're my family. I know things didn't work out between you and Alex, and I know we were never as close as we should have been, but I never wanted you to disappear from my life. I tried reaching out a few times after you and Alex split-"

"And I didn't reach back."

"I should have tried harder," Kara said.

"No," Maggie said. "You shouldn't feel guilty because I turned down your help. I shut you out. That's on me, not you."

"I'm still offering. If you've changed your mind."

"I'm here, aren't I?" Maggie said.

"Yeah."

Maggie looked down at the table, and took a deep breath, and Kara knew before she spoke what was coming next. "How is she?"

"She's had her ups and down," Kara said. "She was torn up for a long time by what happened. She nearly quit the DEO. I think the only reason she stayed is because J'onn promoted her to director before he left."

"I heard about that," Maggie said.

"She got better, after that. Started looking into adoption."

"She seeing anyone?"

"Maggie-"

"No, forget I asked."

Kara looked at Maggie for a minute, trying to decide which would hurt her less. She finally decided that not knowing would probably be worse. "She's dated a bit. No one more than a couple of times."

"Is she happy?" Maggie asked.

"She's trying to be," Kara said.

"That's good."

"What about you?" Kara asked. "Are you happy?"

Maggie reached out and pushed the box towards Kara. "Eat your donuts, Kara."


	3. Bunker Hill

December 11, 2018

"Hey, Maggie," Kara said as Maggie stepped up onto the helipad.

"Hey," Maggie said. She walked across the helipad, and carefully lowered herself to sit next to Kara, her legs dangling over the side. It was a little difficult with her arm in the sling, and she was aware of Kara watching her the wrong time, but she managed it, and as stupid as it sounded, she appreciated Kara not offering to help. "Nice work today."

Kara gave a weak shrug, and reached into the bag next to her, and pulled out a custard filled chocolate éclair and passed it over to Maggie. Maggie took it in her good hand.

"You know, most people I know would consider catching a mass murderer and a domestic terrorist on the same day cause for celebration."

"Most people you know probably wouldn't get fired for it."

"What?"

"Did you see the new footage of Lockwood's arrest?"

"Yeah."

"You remember the part where he asked who I am?"

"Hard to miss."

"Well, apparently, the President decided that Lockwood had a point. He demanded my secret identity. He wanted to release it to the public. I told him no, and he fired me from the DEO, and threatened me."

"Shit. What did you do?"

"I may have threatened him back, then come up here and had a good cry."

Maggie couldn't stop the laugh that escaped her. Kara looked over at her, glaring. "I texted you so you could come comfort me!"

"I'm sorry," Maggie said. "It's just… You threatened the President of the United States, and then stopped to get donuts on your way to cry on top of CatCo."

"Donuts cheer me up," Kara said.

"Kara, sugar cheers you up. I swear I used to have a running bet with myself about how long it was going to be before I found you snorting confectioner's sugar through a rolled-up dollar bill."

Kara frowned. "Why would I do that? I couldn't taste it if I snorted it."

Maggie laughed even harder than before, and the corner of Kara's mouth pulled up just a little.

"You're pulling my leg, aren't you?" Maggie asked.

"A little," Kara said. "I mean, I have seen Wolf of Wallstreet."

"Of course you have," Maggie said. "I'm sorry about what happened. I know how much working with Alex and the DEO means to you."

Kara turned and looked out over the city. "I don't know how I'm going to do this without their help. I mean, they've been there, right since the beginning. I would have died in my first real fight if Alex hadn't shown up."

"You've come a long way since then," Maggie said. "Kara, I've seen you go toe to toe with monsters that would make anyone else run away. I know it will be tough, but you can do this. And honestly, right now, the world needs Supergirl. Probably more than it ever has. Things are getting bad out there. You're a symbol of hope. A symbol of what aliens can give to this world. You are a reminder that they don't have to be afraid. People need to see that right now. They need to see Supergirl, out there, helping people. And they need Kara Danvers, downstairs, showing them what every day aliens look like."

"You've been reading my stories?" Kara asked.

Maggie shrugged and looked away. "I may have read one or two."

"What did you think?"

"They were…" Maggie turned, and saw the hopeful expression on Kara's face, and swallowed the dismissive comment that was on the tip of her tongue. "They were good, Kara. Really good. You should be proud."

"Thank you." Kara reached into the bag and pulled out another donut, and took a bite, chewing slowly. "I don't understand it."

"Understand what?" Maggie asked.

"Lockwood killed people. He organized a hate campaign. He planned to murder aliens in their homes. But somehow, I'm the bad guy, because I won't tell people my secret identity."

"You're not the bad guy Kara. You're a hero. You've saved more lives than I can count. You've saved the whole god damned world."

"Why doesn't that matter?" Kara asked. "I've done so much for this city, for this whole planet. I don't ask for anything in return. Not even a thank you, really. But now, it's like I haven't done any of it. I'm just some alien who doesn't belong here."

"Yeah," Maggie said. "I know how that feels."

Kara looked over at her.

"Did Alex tell you the story about how my parents found out I was gay?"

"Not really," Kara said. "Just that they found out on Valentines day, and they threw you out."

"Yeah. That's the short version. I had this friend. Elisa Wilkey. I kind of knew I was gay by that point, but Elisa was the first girl I ever really liked. We got to be friends, and I fell hard for her. We used to hang out in her basement and watch horror movies and sneak cigarettes, and I thought she was the coolest person in the world. And she paid attention to me and she treated me like I mattered, like I wasn't some freak, or a burden. I was in love with her, or I thought I was. I mean, I was fourteen. What the fuck does a fourteen year old know about being in love? But I convinced myself I was, and I convinced myself she felt the same way. So, on Valentine's day, I shipped a card in her locker, telling her how I felt. Literally the stupidest thing I have ever done in my life. She gave the card to her parents, who called my dad, and when I came home, he was waiting for me, with a suitcase. He took me to my aunt's house, and he left me there, and I didn't see him again until my and Alex's wedding shower. Where, after being invited to my very gay wedding shower, he freaking out over the fact that I kissed my fiancée and stormed out in a rage."

"Rao, that's awful."

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Not great memories on my best day. But um… relevant. You see, I have spent years of my life circulating in the queer community, and in the alien community, and when I'm in those communities I'm comfortable. I'm safe. The aliens who know me, like me. They know I've got their backs. The queer people, I'm one of them. I don't have a lot of close friends, but I know people, and people know me, and I do okay. So, you know, most days I don't notice the fact that there are people out there who hate me, just for existing. Most days, outside of work, I just exist in this happy little mix of queer people and aliens, and the hate and the intolerance are something that happens in some distant far off place. Even at work, people keep their mouth shut, because HR policies are pretty strict, and these days the city actually enforces them because they don't want to get sued. So, when something happens like, I make a stupid decision and let Alex convince me to try to reconcile with my dad, and all that hate gets thrown up in my face, it hurts like hell.

"What you're seeing is that. We were all in our little bubble, you know. Alien Amnest had been past. We had a progressive President who was pushing for the expansion of alien rights. Cadmus has been sent packing, and everything seemed okay. And then someone invited a bigot to the party and gave them a megaphone.

"The hate, the fear, it was always out there, just like dad. We couldn't see it because it was outside of our bubble. But now, it's up in our face. And the thing about bigots is, they attract each other. They make each other bold. One of them gets a platform and starts screaming and the others join in. That's what happened with Lockwood. He started screamed, and all the other bigots came out of the woodwork to scream along with him, and right now, they are screaming so loud, they are drowning out the people who do remember everything you've done. The people that love Supergirl."

"You think so?"

"I do," Maggie said. "But I will admit, we could use a little of that Cat Grant magic right about now."

Kara laughed. "I wish."

Maggie smiled at the sound. "So, you have any idea what you'll do next?" she asked, before taking a bite out of her éclair.

"I'm actually going to see my cousin," Kara said. "He'll be back from Argo next week, and I'm going to Kansas for a visit."

"Sounds like a good idea. Give you a chance to process things."

"You don't think it's just running away?" Kara asked.

"No. I mean, first, it sounds like you've been planning this for a while, so it's not you reacting to what happened. It's you living your life. And second, even if it were running away, that isn't always a bad thing. Sometime you just need a chance to regroup. Get your feet back under you."

"But you said they need to see me out there."

"Yeah, but Kara, you can't be on twenty-four seven three sixty-five. No one can. You just took a hard hit. It's okay to take some time and catch your breath."

"You really think it will be okay?"

"Yeah," Maggie said. "I don't think it will be easy, and I know it won't be quick, fights like this never are, but we'll get there eventually."

"You really believe that?"

"I don't know. Believe is a strong word. But I hope. Sometimes, that's enough."


	4. Elseworlds

January 19, 2019

Maggie smiled as she watched Kara look around the restaurant, giving the place a dubious look. Maggie her to bite her lip to keep from smiling, because she understood. Ellie's had probably been last redecorated around the time Maggie's parents got married. The place was immaculately clean, but it felt old in a way that not a lot of places in National City did. That was part of its charm though. It had an aged, lived in feel that was a lot more common back in Kansas and Nebraska where people didn't have the money to redecorate everything every couple of years.

Maggie saw the moment Kara spotted her, saw Kara's face light up, which made Maggie smile. She waved Kara over, and headed her way.

"Hey," Maggie said as Kara slid into the booth across from her.

"Hey," Kara replied in a cheerful tone. "How are you doing?"

"Better," Maggie said, holding up her arm. "No more sling."

"That's great! Are you back at work?"

"Yeah. Since Monday. How was Kansas?"

"A lot less Kansasy than I expected," Kara said. "Barry and Oliver showed up. I spent half my vacation in Central City, Star City and Gotham on Earth One, helping them fight a god."

"A god?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah. Not as fun as it sounds. I made a new friend though."

"Really? Was she and unreasonably hot a billionaire?"

Kara narrowed her eyes. "Yes."

Maggie snorted and shook her head. "I was kidding!"

"She's Bruce Wayne's cousin."

Maggie stopped laughing. "You met Kate Kane?" she asked.

"You know her?" Kara asked.

"No, but I know of her. At least, this Earth's version of her. I worked with one of her ex-girlfriends when I was in Gotham last year."

"Oh," Kara said. "Well, I suppose that means I wasn't imagining the part where I thought she was hitting on me."

"You weren't sure?"

"I'm never sure," Kara said. "Well, I mean, I was sure that one time with Sara, but it's hard to misinterpret 'That suit looks great on you. I bet it would look better on my floor.'"

"Oh, god. Someone actually used that line on you?"

"In her defense, she was really drunk at the time," Kara said. "Honestly, I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who was sober that night."

"Sounds like it was a fun night."

"Not as fun as you'd think. I had to stop Barry from trying to run on clouds."

"Okay, you have to invite me to your next superhero keg party," Maggie said.

"I'll put you on the guest list," Kara said. "So, what is this place?"

"The best barbecue in National City," Maggie said. "I figured I'd ease you back into city life, but if I'd know you had spent time in Gotham, I would have taken you for deep dish pizza instead."

"This is a better choice," Kara said. "I didn't get any barbecue while I was in Kansas."

"What?" Maggie asked. "You went to Kansas and didn't try the barbecue? You realize I have to arrest you now, right?"

"You can try," Kara said.

"Decide what you want to order," Maggie said.

Kara picked up the menu. "Bulk items? I'm going to like this place."

"I figured you would," Maggie said. "So, how's your cousin."

Kara looked up and Maggie could see the excitement on her face. "He and Lois are getting married!" she squealed.

"Really?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah."

"Good for them," Maggie said. "Does that mean you'll have to cover the whole planet again while they're on their honeymoon?"

Kara's face fell a little. "Actually, they're already back on Argo."

"What?" Maggie asked, feeling a surge of anger at Clark.

"Lois is pregnant," Kara said. "Which is great, but it's not really safe for her to carry a half Kryptonian baby on a planet with a yellow sun. If they did stay here, she'd have to live under red sun lamps at the Fortress for the next nine months."

"I'm sorry, Kara," Maggie said. "I know you must want to go visit."

Kara shrugged. "Sometimes. Other times, I dread knowing I'll have to go back eventually."

"Why?"

"I don't fit in there anymore," Kara said. "I don't know if it's because I've changed, or they've changed or both, but Argo isn't Krypton. Not the Krypton that was. When I was growing up, Thara Ak-Var was my best friend. She was from one of the minor houses, but her family was well respected. We knew each other so well we could finish each other's sentences. She survived, and she's a cop now. Chief of Police for all of Argo City, in fact. You'd think we'd get along, but we went to dinner together and all she could talk about was how upsetting it was that her landscape architect had built the gazebo facing the wrong way. I mean, a few days earlier, I'd been fighting to save the world from Reign, and there I was, listening to someone talk about a gazebo, and it felt like we were speaking different languages.

"It's funny, you know. I have more in common with an unreasonably hot billionaire from another universe than I do with a girl who I grew up with, who was my best friend from the day I met her until the day Krypton exploded. I don't know how it happened. It scares me, because being a Kryptonian is part of who I am, but what if… What if I'm not really a Kryptonian anymore? What if I've changed too much?"

Maggie reached across the table and caught one of Kara's hands in her own. "I don't think that's what happened."

"You don't?"

"No," Maggie said. "Kara, you've been working as de facto law enforcement for years. You're basically a cop. That's not something you can turn off. Cops who retire or who leave the job take time to get used to being a civilian again. You going back to Argo is like that. You had trouble trying to fit in, letting go of the watchfulness and the suspicion. That's normal. It happens to cops all the time. It doesn't mean they aren't human. It just means they need time to adjust. You're still Kryptonian Kara. No one can take that away from you."

"But Thara is a cop too."

"You said she was the Chief of Police," Maggie said. "When was the last time she personally took down a perp?"

"I don't know," Kara said.

"How much crime was there on Argo?"

"Not much," Kara said. "There was never much crime on Krypton."

"Kara, once you get past a certain level, it's not the same. Thara's probably more of a politician, than a cop, and if there's as little crime as you say on Argo, when she was a cop, she was probably closer to a mall security guard than anything you or I deal with. You couldn't relate to her because you don't have anything in common with her, but that's not because of culture, that's because of life experience. If I met someone I went to middle school with back in Blue Springs, I wouldn't have a damn thing in common with them, other than a craving for pulled pork smothered in barbecue sauce."

Kara stared at her for a moment, giving her a watery smile. Maggie squeezed her hand a little harder.

"You ready to order?" She asked.

Kara nodded.

* * *

"So, then, the Korugarian woman picks up the pie-"

"Don't say it! It's too terrible," Kara pleaded.

"… and she threw it right in Debbie's face."

"NO!" Kara said, but the laughter in her voice put lie to her protest.

"The filling got all in her hair, and she complained the whole way back to headquarters, and I'm not sure, but I'm guessing it's pretty much impossible to get cherry pie filling out of cornrows because the next day, she came into work with this big, poofy afro."

"All that pie, wasted," Kara said.

"Of course you care about the pie," Maggie snickered.

"Yeah, it's pie," Kara said, a grin on her face. "I'm glad you're enjoying being back at work."

"I did miss it, but I think I needed the time away. Don't get me wrong, I love being a cop. I love helping people. But being off the job gave me time to reconnect with the alien community, and I got to see other ways I could help people. It nice, you know. Feeling like you have options."

"Are you thinking of quitting?" Kara asked.

"No, but I'm up for a promotion at work. Detective Sergeant."

"That's great, Maggie," Kara said.

"Yeah, but it makes you think about the future, you know. Do I want to be a Detective Sergeant? Do I want to be a Lieutenant? Do I want to be a Captain? Do I want to be a cop forever?"

"Those are pretty big questions," Kara said.

"Yeah," Maggie said.

"You have any idea what you're going to do?"

"I don't know. I'll probably take the promotion, because it's more money, and I'm already basically doing the job, but lately, I feel stuck, I guess. Like I keep making the same mistakes, over and over again, and I don't know how to stop."

"What kind of mistakes?"

"I haven't exactly been a nun for the last year," Maggie said. "But it's not just the women. When Alex and I split, I shut everyone who had any connection to Alex out of my life. It's not the first time I've ever done that. Every time I've walked away from a real relationship, one that hurt to walk away from, I've walked away from a group of friends with it.

"You made me realize that was a mistake. I could have really used a friend like you this past year. And then you had to go and ask me if I was happy."

"A question you avoided answering," Kara said.

"I think my silence made it pretty clear than I'm not. And listening to you talk about that other Earth, and about that other Alex, it makes me wonder what other Maggie's are out there. Makes me wonder if they made better choices that I did. Is there a Maggie out there who's married to an Alex and raising a pack of kids? Is there a Maggie out there who didn't cheat on Emily? Is there a Maggie out there who didn't become a cop like her dad. Is there a Maggie who didn't put that stupid fucking card in Elisa Wilkey's locker? Is there a Maggie out there who's happy?"

"Those are also pretty big questions," Kara said.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Yeah, they are. But the thing is, at the end of the day, none of those Maggies, if they exist, are me. The question I should be asking is, is it too late for me to make better choices? Is it too late for me to be happy?"

"It's never too late to be happy," Kara said.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe if I can find a way to make better choices," Maggie said.

"Hey, you're here, aren't you?" Kara said.

"You saying you're a better choice, Little Danvers?" Maggie asked.

"I think you said it first."

Maggie smiled. "I suppose I did."


	5. Suspicious Minds

January 25, 2019

Kara walked into Al's at a little past eleven that night. If she were honest, it didn't look much different than any other time she'd been there, but there was something about the place that night that matched her mood. Empty, desperate, and smelling of pain and bad decisions.

She stepped up to the bar and waved the bartender over.

"What can I get for you," he asked.

"Bolovaxian Whiskey," Kara said.

He looked her up and down. "I don't think so," he said. "That stuff will kill humans. How about a nice Shirley Temple?"

Kara reached over the bar, and grabbed his shirt, lifting all two hundred some odd pounds of him off the ground and holding him a good two feet in the air as she let her heat vision glow behind her eyes.

"Do I look human to you?" she asked.

"Uh, no," he said.

She sat him down gently and smoothed out his shirt. "Good," she said she said, a bright smile on her face. "Now, a bottle of Bolovaxian whiskey, and a glass."

He nodded and reached under the counter and pulled out a bottle of something blue and glowing and sat it on the counter, then handed her a tumbler.

"How much?" Kara asked.

"A hundred for the bottle," he said.

Kara took out her wallet and counted out eight twenties and dropped them on the bar. "I'd like the party size wings, nuclear. Keep the change," she said, before she picked up the bottle and the glass, and walked over to a booth in the corner. She slid into the booth, and twisted the cap off the whiskey, pouring herself a generous glass. She knocked it back in one shot, then refilled her glass, and did it again.

She was pouring her third glass when someone slid into the booth across from her.

"Unless you've got my food, go away," Kara said, not bothering to look up at whoever it was.

"I can't afford to feed you on what the city pays me," her guest said in an all too familiar voice. Kara looked up to see Maggie sitting across from her.

"What are you doing here?" Kara asked.

"I've been coming here for years," Maggie said. "What, did you think your sister got the bar in the divorce?"

"I don't want to talk about Alex," Kara said before slamming her third glass of the alien whiskey.

"Why not? Did something happen?" Maggie asked with both confusion and fear in her voice.

"Yeah," Kara said. "But probably not what you're thinking."

"What do you mean?" Maggie asked, and Kara could still hear the fear in her voice.

"You remember J'onn quit the DEO, right?" Kara asked.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "I heard he just hung up his shingle as a private investigator."

"Yeah, well, next time you see him, punch him in the face for me," Kara said, pouring herself another glass. She started to lift it, but Maggie reached over and put her hand on top of it.

"Kara, what the hell is going on?" Maggie asked. "You're flashing your powers around like you don't give a damn who knows who you are. That's not like you."

"Maybe it should be. All of this wouldn't have happened if I didn't have a stupid secret identity."

"Would you mind telling me what all of 'this' is?"

"You remember me telling you that the President brought this woman in to run the DEO?"

"Yeah."

"And you remember the part where the President fired me?"

"Yeah."

"So, it turns out that this woman, Colonel Haley, is an anti-alien bigot."

"Not terribly surprising, but there are a lot of those out there, and none of them have you in here getting hammered."

"None of them found out my secret identity," Kara said.

"What?"

Kara waved her hand. "J'onn fixed it. He wiped the knowledge from her mind."

"Thank god," Maggie said.

"That's what I thought, but he couldn't make her stop trying to find out my identity."

"But if you know she's looking, you can take precautions."

"Doesn't matter," Kara said. "She's questioning people at the DEO using a truth seeker."

"Is that one of those octopus things?"

"Yeah. Makes you tell the truth as long as you're in physical contact."

"Shit, Kara. A lot of people at the DEO know who you are."

"Not anymore," Kara said as she poured herself another drink.

"What do you mean."

"J'onn fixed it," Kara spat before she tossed back another glass of whiskey.

"What do you mean, J'onn fixed it? How could… No. Kara, tell me he didn't…"

"Yeah, he did," Kara said. "They all volunteered. And it's less people than you think. We lost a lot of agents to the Daxamites, and we lost more fighting the Kryptonian Witches and the Worldkillers."

"How many?"

"Five," Kara said.

"Jesus Christ. They really volunteered?"

"Yeah. Some of them couldn't wait."

"Okay, but what good is that going to do? Everyone knows Alex has worked closer to you than anyone else at the DEO. Haley's bound to use the trust seeker on her."

"Won't matter," Kara said. "J'onn fixed that too."

"No… Kara, tell me you're not saying what I think you're saying."

"That depends," Kara said as she poured herself another drink. "Do you think I'm saying J'onn wiped Alex's memories of me being an alien and being Supergirl? Because I'm definitely saying that."

"Jesus fucking Christ."

Kara downed another glass of whiskey, and reached for the bottle again, but Maggie got there first, pulling the bottle away.

"Hey!" Kara said. "Give that back."

"I don't think so," Maggie said.

"I paid for it!"

"You're drunk."

"Not yet, I'm not," Kara said.

"Isn't your sister the one who self-medicates with alcohol?" Maggie asked.

"I don't even know if I have a sister anymore," Kara said. "Everything that made us sisters, everything that brought us together, was because of who I am. If you take that away, what do we have left?"

"Kara, she loves you," Maggie said. "That is not going to change."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because she's Alex. Because she isn't capable of not loving you."

"I didn't want her to do it. I begged her not to do it. But she did it anyway. She was always the person I could share my whole self with. And she took that away from me. She took my sister away from me."

"She was trying to protect you," Maggie said.

"I don't want her to protect me," Kara said. "I want her to be my sister."

"You know what. We should get you out of here," Maggie said.

"No," Kara said.

"Kara, you're drunk," Maggie said.

"I ordered food, Maggie," Kara said. "I have to eat."

"We can get you food when you get home," Maggie said.

"I don't have a home," Kara said. "The First one burned up, and J'onn erased the second one."

"Kara," Maggie said.

"No," Kara said. "I'm not going anywhere. And if you want to stay, you have to have a drink."

"I think one of us should probably stay sober," Maggie said.

Kara crossed her arms over her chest. "Drink or leave."

"Fine," Maggie said. She held up the bottle of whiskey. "Is this safe for me?"

"No," Kara said. "That's about fifty times more potent than alcohol."

"Right," Maggie said. "You stay here. I'll go get shots that won't put me in the hospital."

* * *

Maggie came back to the table a couple of minutes later with four shots and sat them down. It didn't escape her notice that the bottle of alien alcohol was now on Kara's side of the table, and at least a couple of fingers worth were missing, but she didn't say anything. Kara was an adult. If she wanted to get plastered, she probably had more right than just about anyone on the planet, given all the shit she'd put up with.

Maggie knew she should probably just leave her to it, but she couldn't bring herself to leave her alone. Not when Kara was so obviously hurting, and not when there were far too many people who would be willing to take advantage of a young girl in a compromised state. Besides, Kara was trying to be her family. It might be strange, and awkward, but Kara was trying, and Maggie wanted to try too.

"You got drinks," Kara said, a happy smile on her face, and Maggie figured the alcohol had finally hit her. She picked up her bottle and refilled her glass. "We need a toast!"

"What are we drinking too?" Maggie said as she picked up one of her shots.

"To being things Alex had to give up," Kara said.

Maggie tapped her shot glass to Kara's tumbler. "Here's to us," she said, and slammed the shot back.

She'd just sat the empty glass down when Kara leaned forward.

"You know, I never said I was sorry," Kara said.

"For what?" Maggie asked.

"For the way I treated you," Kara said.

Maggie frowned. "Kara, you never treated me badly," Maggie said. Which was mostly true. They'd both had their issues, largely with jealousy and wounded pride, but Kara had never been rude to her. Just cold.

"Yes, I did," Kara said. "I mean, I didn't get it until later. Until last year when Lena did it to me. But I froze you out. I treated you like you were just another agent Alex worked with. I never treated you like family."

Maggie reached for another shot, and downed it, because she had a feeling she was going to need it.

"What happened between you and Lena that made her freeze you out?"

"I was jealous," Kara said as she refilled her own glass.

"Of Lena?" Maggie asked, more than a little confused by the track of the conversation.

"No, of you and Alex," Kara said.

"Why?" Maggie asked, because apparently they were skipping whatever problems Kara and Lena had and getting right into the messy parts of their mutual past.

"Because I realized I'd never have what you and Alex had," Kara said.

"Yeah," Maggie said, reaching for another shot. "Lucky you."

"I know, right," Kara said. She held up her glass. "Here's to not being good enough for anyone."

Maggie tapped her glass to Kara's. "Here's to us," she said, before she downed the third shot.

"Are you drunk yet?" Kara asked.

"No," Maggie said. She was starting to feel a bit of a buzz, but she was a long way from anything that could be called drunk.

"Sobriety sucks!" Kara said. "You need more shots!"

"One of us has to be sober enough to get both of us home," Maggie said.

Kara poured herself another glass. "Told you, I don't have a home," Kara said.

"Well," Maggie said as she picked up her forth shot. "To being homeless."

Kara smiled. "Here's to us," she said.

* * *

Kara glared across the table at Maggie.

"You can't really be upset," Maggie said.

"Try me," Kara said, narrowing her eyes.

"It was one wing, Kara," Maggie said.

"Do you know how many calories I have to eat in a day just to maintain my weight?" Kara asked.

"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me," Maggie said.

"Ten thousand," Kara said.

"That's a lot," Maggie said.

"Do you know how hard it is to afford ten thousand calories a day on my salary, Maggie?" Kara asked.

"Pretty hard?" Maggie said.

"Pretty hard," Kara said. "You know what that means?"

"I'm buying you another order of wings?" Maggie asked.

"And the bottomless chips and salsa," Kara said.

"Okay," Maggie said, as she waved one of the waitresses over.

"And more shots," Kara said.

"Kara, I think I've had enough," Maggie said.

"Can you still stand?" Kara asked.

"Yes," Maggie said.

"So can I," Kara said. "Which means neither of us have had enough."

* * *

Maggie sat down the empty glass from her eighth shot and looked up at Kara.

"Can I ask you a question?" Maggie asked.

"Sure," Kara said. "We're friends right?"

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Of course."

"And there are no secrets between friends," Kara said. "Unless you randomly decide to start making Kryptonite in your basement, then lie to me about where you got it, then get your boyfriend, who is supposed to be my friend, and who I knew longer than you, to lie to me about it. And then tell me how you should never meet your hears because they always disappoint you, and how you can never trust Supergirl again. Because then, maybe you don't deserve to know that I'm really Supergirl."

Maggie stared at Kara for a moment, taking in everything she just said. "Is that what happened with Lena?"

"Yep," Kara said. "She kind of hates me too. Supergirl me. Not Kara me. She's Kara me's best friend."

"That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen," Maggie said.

Kara picked up her glass. "Here's to being a disaster waiting to happen," Kara said.

Maggie picked up another shot and tapped it to Kara's glass. "Here's to us."

They both drank, then Kara looked at Maggie.

"You had a question," Kara said.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Why the fuck did you ever date Mon-El?"

"I thought it was better than being alone," Kara said.

"You weren't alone," Maggie said.

"Some detective you are," Kara said. "James didn't want me. He wanted my cousin in a skirt. What happened after the Red K made that clear. Cat didn't want me. She wanted to dive, whatever that means. Winn didn't want me. He wanted Kara Danvers, or he wanted Supergirl. He never wanted any of the messy places in between. Alex had you. You had Alex. I had… the suit, nights alone, and memories of all the people who didn't make it. My mother. Astra. My father. Jeremiah. Kenny. Thara. My Grandparents. My House. My whole world.

"Mon-El treated me horribly, but at least he wanted me. Not Supergirl. Not Kara Danvers. Me. Kara Zor-El. He made me feel seen in a way no one else did. And he was there when no one else was. You can forgive a lot for someone who just shows up."

"That would explain more than one of my relationships," Maggie said.

Kara held up her glass. "To being the one no one else wants," she said.

Maggie picked up another shot and touched it to Kara's glass. "Here's to us."

* * *

"What?" Kara asked as she looked up at the waitress standing next to their table.

"I said we've closing," the waitress said.

"But I don't have anywhere to go," Kara said.

"That's rough," the waitress said. "But you can't stay here."

"It's okay," Maggie said as she pulled out her wallet. She dug out a couple of bills and handed them to the waitress. "We'll get out of your hair."

"Thanks," the waitress said. She left to go clear another table while Maggie and Kara cleared out.

Maggie looked over at Kara, who's eyes were brimming with tears.

"I don't have anywhere to go," she said.

"You've got an apartment," Maggie said as she stood up.

"I can't go back there," Kara said as she stumbled to her feet. "Alex is everywhere."

Maggie stared at Kara for a moment. She understood exactly what Kara meant. She still felt the ache every time she walked through the park where she and Alex used to jog every morning. She'd had to find a new yoga studio because she couldn't breathe in her old one. She understood better than anyone what it was like to be haunted by the ghost of Alex Danvers.

Maggie reached out and caught Kara as she started to waver, slipping an arm around her waist as she dug her phone out. She led Kara towards the door, as she used an app on her phone to summon a cab from one of the more alien friendly cab companies in town. The wait was short, and a little awkward, because as soon as they stopped, Kara turned towards her, and slipped both arms around her waist. Standing there, with Kara leaning against her, and Kara's face buried in her neck felt a little too intimate for two women who'd come within a couple of weeks of being sisters-in-law, but Maggie couldn't bring herself to say anything. Not when she could feel the tears falling onto her shoulder. She just slipped her arms around Kara and held her close.

* * *

January 26, 2019

Kara woke up slowly, which wasn't unusual for her on a morning she didn't have to work. The first thing she was aware of what the scent. It was familiar. Something that had existed in her life before, but something she couldn't quite place. It smelled a bit like suntan oil, heavy on the coconut, but it wasn't. Not quite. Soap. No. Not soap. Shampoo. She smelled a faint whiff of a coconut scented shampoo. Warmth came next, and with it, softness. She was pressed against someone's side, and there was an arm wrapped around her, and her arm around someone. She snuggled closer, smiling at the contact. It had been too long since she'd been held, and she missed it. Sound was next. A heartbeat close by, air in and out of lungs. The soft rhythm of sleep. The heartbeat was familiar, not Alex, not Mon-El, but comforting. Even if she couldn't immediately place who it belonged to, it made her feel safe.

She lingered there, on the edge of wakefulness, reluctant to let the morning claim her and take her away from warmth and comfort. She knew she shouldn't, she should be up and around, but she listened, and there were no sirens calling her, and without her earpiece, her connection to the DEO, nothing demanded Supergirl's attention. She could be Kara for a few moments longer. Not Kara Danvers, not the mask she wore every day, but Kara Zor-El. Her truest self. A few moments without any of the masks she wore was a temptation hard to resist.

Minutes passed, stretching out as she drifted in and out of sleep, happy and content, and not quite able to place why that was a surprise because she wasn't awake enough to remember why it should be. Like all the happy moments in her life, it came to an end before she was ready for it to. The heartbeat so close to her ear changed, and with it the tempo of the breathing of the person she was cuddled up to. Sleep became wakefulness, and Kara sighed as she was dragged up into the waking world against her will.

"Morning," a soft voice said, and Kara lifted her head to match face to name.

"Maggie?" she asked.

"I hope so," Maggie said, "because I'm wearing her underwear."

Kara laughed, and Maggie winced at the sound.

"Not so loud," she said. "Some of us aren't immune to hangovers."

"Sorry," Kara whispered.

"It's okay," Maggie said. "Can you let me up?"

"Yeah," Kara said. She pulled away from Maggie, letting her go a bit reluctantly. She watched as Maggie sat up and opened a bottle of water that was sitting on her nightstand. She popped two pills into her mouth, then drank the entire bottle of water in one go. Then, she got up and headed into the bathroom.

Kara climbed out of bed and let out a small yelp of surprise when she found herself in nothing but an oversized t-shirt. She looked around the apartment, what there was of it, and spotted her clothes neatly folded on top of a chest of drawers. That made things easy. She was worried for a moment that she would have to look for them, and she didn't really want to go poking around Maggie's apartment.

Not that there was a lot to poke around in. The small studio couldn't have been much more than six hundred square feet. It was well kept. There was a small shelf with six Bonsai trees on it, another filled with awards from the NCPD, and a few other personal touches here and there, but something about the apartment bothered Kara though, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

The door to the bathroom opened, and Maggie stepped out. "All yours," she said.

"Thanks," Kara said.

* * *

Maggie was doing her best not to freak out, but she was failing miserably. She was pretty sure she was hiding it well because she'd learned at a very young age to take what she was feeling and hide it. She's managed to hide the fact that she was gay years before Elisa Wilkey had come along and she'd been stupid enough to believe someone actually loved her. But however well she was hiding her freak out, waking up in bed with her ex-fiancé's younger sister curled up around her didn't seem like one of the better choices she'd been talking to Kara about a few days ago.

The whole thing had been innocent, of course. Kara had been drunk and upset, and too damn tall to sleep on the couch, and it wasn't like the bed wasn't big enough for both of them, so why not? The idea had seemed a lot better when she'd been twelve shots in. It might seem a lot better now, if she had pants on.

She grabbed the jeans she'd been wearing last night and pulled them on, then went over to the kitchen, and started making coffee, because it was a lot easier to not freak out when she wasn't caffeine deprived.

The pot was about half full when the door to the bathroom opened and Kara stepped out, looking annoyingly well put together.

"Do I smell coffee?" Kara asked.

"Still brewing," Maggie said.

"Would it be weirder if I stayed for a cup, or if I left now?" Kara asked.

"Honestly, I'm not sure there is any way this isn't a little weird, so maybe just do what you actually want to do," Maggie said.

Kara pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. Maggie turned around and grabbed a couple of cups out of the cabinet, and a couple of packets of instant coco out of the pantry. She added both packets of coco to Kara's mug. By the time she was done with that, the coffee had finished brewing, and she filled both mugs, and carried them over to the table.

"I'm out of pumpkin spice, but I seem to remember mocha being your alternate," Maggie said as she slid the cup across the table.

Kara smiled as she took it. "By out of, you mean 'I'll buy pumpkin spice over my dead body,'" Kara said.

"Something like that," Maggie said. She took a sip of her coffee, sighing in pleasure at a cup that didn't taste like the three-day-old motor oil that came out of the pot at the station.

"Thank you," Kara said.

"It's just coffee," Maggie said.

"No. I meant for last night. It was good to have someone to talk to."

Maggie shrugged. "It's like you said. We're family."

"You really feel that way?"

"Yeah," Maggie said, a little surprised to find that she did.

"Good," Kara said. "I don't have enough family left to let anyone go."

"I thought… um… There were rumors of someone else wearing your symbol."

"My mom," Kara said. "We didn't spread it around, but she survived. She's on Argo."

"Really?" Maggie asked. "Kara, that's wonderful!"

"Yeah," Kara said without any real enthusiasm.

Maggie frowned as she watched Kara look down into her coffee.

"Kara?"

Kara shook her head. "It's nothing," she said.

"It's something," Maggie said.

"I just… It's so selfish," Kara said.

"Kara."

Kara looked up at her. "Yeah?"

"Whatever it is, you can tell me," Maggie said. "I promise, I won't judge."

Kara gave her a week smile. "I found her. Found my mom. I spent a lifetime thinking she was dead. All the time I was in the phantom zone. Fifteen years here on earth. Thirty-nine years, from the day I got in that pod until the day I saw her again on Argo. When she said she was coming with me to Earth, I thought she meant she was going to stay. And she did. For two days. After thirty-nine years, I got to spend two days with my mother on Argo, and two days with her on Earth. Four days total.

"I know I should be grateful. I know just seeing her at all is a miracle. But she went back to Argo. She left me, again. And then Clark wanted to go to Argo, and Lois is pregnant. and they have no idea how dangerous a human carrying a half Kryptonian baby would be on Earth, so it will be months before he can come back. And even once he gets back, he won't be able to be Superman again for a while. Not until the baby is older, so I can't even go visit."

"God, Kara," Maggie said. "That's… justified. That's… That's your mom being asshole."

"What?" Kara asked.

"Kara, she put you in a pod, and tossed you into space to raise your baby cousin when you were a child. Frankly, now that I know she's alive, I kind of want to punch her in the face for that. But it's not selfish to want to her to stay here with you. It's just… Well, I was going to say human nature, but in your case…"

"Close enough," Kara said. "We're taught from a young age that duty to our House and to Krypton as a whole is more important that our own desires. We set those feelings aside and we do what's best for everyone, but that doesn't mean we don't have them."

"It sounds like a hard way to live," Maggie said. "But as someone who isn't a Daxamite slave because you were willing to do that, I am grateful. Just remember that you have the right to feel however you feel. How you feel doesn't determine your character. What you do about how you feel, that's what makes you who you are. And you are a good person."

"You think so?" Kara asked.

"Yeah," Maggie said.

"I've got to admit, sometimes I wasn't sure you did."

Maggie shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes I wasn't sure I did either, but I think some of that's just pride. You spend hours trying to talk down the bad guys, and Supergirl shows up and deals with it in twenty seconds. It stings a little."

"Sorry," Kara said. "Is the Supergirl defense really a thing?

"Yeah, but it's not very effective," Maggie said. "I mean, your kind of a hero."

Kara laughed. "You do pretty good yourself," she said.

"Yeah, I do alright," Maggie said.

"You know, that reminds me. Before the shootout at the warehouse, it had been a while since I'd seen you," Kara said.

"I was in Hub City for a while. Then Gotham. Then Coast City, which, funny story, I met Susan's moms."

"You did?" Kara asked.

"I did," Maggie said.

"What are they like?" Kara asked.

"Smoking hot, so in love with each other it's a little nauseating, and just really nice," Maggie said.

Kara leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. "God, I miss Susan," she said.

"Yeah. I heard she left the DEO. What happened?"

"She moved to DC to be closer to her girlfriend," Kara said.

"Must have been some girlfriend," Maggie said.

"Lucy Lane," Kara said.

"James's ex-girlfriend?"

"The same," Kara said. "I can't blame Susan, either. If I'd known Lucy liked girls, I might have taken a shot at that myself."

Maggie looked at Kara for a minute, not sure she'd heard her right. "I didn't know you liked girls," she said.

Kara shrugged. "I don't talk about it much," she said. "Or at all, really."

"Why not?" Maggie asked.

"At first, it hurt too much. Growing up, I used to dream about marrying Thara. My dad had even talked to her mom about arranging a marriage," Kara said.

"You were going to marry a girl?" Maggie asked. "At twelve?"

"We wouldn't have been married until we were twenty-one," Kara said. "But it's normal for the betrothal to take place by the time you're fourteen."

"And you never told anyone?"

"Talking about that, even to Alex or Eliza hurt too much at first, and by the time I felt like I wanted to talk about it, I'd picked up enough Earth culture to know that people on this planet are weird about sex and gender, and I was supposed to fit in, and not attract attention. So, that's what I did. And I spent a long time doing everything I could to try and fit in, to be normal, I just kind of ruled it out, you know."

"It's a big part of yourself to close off," Maggie said.

"Yeah," Kara said. "Later, when I started to realize that there was someone I cared about enough to take the risk, Alex came out, and I sort of felt like I couldn't."

"Why?"

"Because it felt like it would be something else I was taking from her," Kara said. "You know it was really hard for her when she came out. And I think a lot of that was my fault. We spent so much time talking while we were growing, but it was always about me. My grief, my loss, my problems. I don't think I created a safe space where she could really explore who she was. And then, she found this piece of herself, and I just… I wanted her to have that. I wanted for once in our lives, for Alex to have something that was just hers. Something she didn't have to share with me."

"You know, that is kind, and noble, and well intentioned, and completely fucked up," Maggie said.

"Maybe a little," Kara said.

"Maybe a lot," Maggie said. "Kara, if Alex can't deal with you being… bisexual?"

"I prefer pan."

"If Alex can't deal with you being pansexual, then the problem isn't you. Her sexuality should be about what makes her happy. Not about being different from you."

"I know," Kara said. "I just…"

"You didn't want to draw attention away from what she was going through," Maggie said. "Which is good. That's a good impulse. But Kara, Alex has been out for a long time. She came within a hair's breadth of marrying someone. I think maybe it's okay if you come out now."

"There's not much point," Kara said as she looked down at her coffee. "The person I wanted to be with… isn't really an option."

"I'm sorry. I heard about Lena dating James."

"Lena?" Kara asked, looked up at Maggie. "What does Lena have to do with anything?"

"Well, you just.. I mean, you and Lena were…"

"OH!" Kara said, shaking her head. "No. No. I mean, I like Lena, but no."

"Really?" Maggie asked. "Because honestly, the way she looked at you was in no way heterosexual."

"Yeah," Kara said. "I noticed that too. It was honestly a relief when she started dating James, because I didn't have to play stupid when she made passes at me anymore. I mean, I care about Lena and she's not hard to look at but I couldn't have a relationship with someone if I didn't feel like I could tell them my secret."

"I thought trusting Lena was like, your default mode," Maggie said.

"You missed a lot of things," Kara said.

"Clearly," Maggie said. "So, who was it?"

"Who was who?" Kara asked.

"The woman you were interested in?" Maggie asked.

"Oh," Kara said. "Does it matter?"

"It must," Maggie said. "Last night you were sitting there, listing off people who didn't want you and… Holy fuck. Cat Grant?"

The blush in Kara's cheeks was all the answer Maggie really needed.

"Well, you've got good taste, I'll give you that," Maggie said.

Kara let out a little laugh. "It's ridiculous, I know," Kara said. "I mean, what would someone like her ever want with someone like me?"

"You're kidding, right?" Maggie asked. "I mean, really, you're pulling my leg?"

"No," Kara said. "She's kind and smart and strong and loving and generous and compassionate and tough and beautiful and just… everything."

"Yeah. Being an unreasonably hot billionaire probably doesn't hurt," Maggie said.

Kara shrugged. "I never cared about the money," Kara said. "I cared that she was kind."

"You said she wasn't an option," Maggie said. "Did you ever ask?"

Kara shook her head. "No," she said. "I might have, if she'd stayed. But she left again, and I don't think she's coming back."

"I'm sorry," Maggie said.

Kara lifted her coffee mug. "Here's to being left being," she said.

Maggie raised her mug and tapped it to Kara's. "Here's to us."

Kara took a long sip of her coffee and sat it down.

"Can I ask a personal question?"

"Seems to be the morning for it," Maggie said.

"How did you deal with not having Alex in your life?" Kara asked.

"Poorly," Maggie said. "I drank. A lot. I slept around. A lot. I fled the country for a while. That was about the time other cities were starting to realize aliens weren't just going to stay in Metropolis and National City, so I took the assignments in Hub City, Gotham and Coast City to help them get their Science Divisions up and running."

"I'm sorry," Kara said.

"Not your fault. Can I ask you another question?"

"Sure."

"Why did you become Supergirl?" Maggie asked.

"Alex never told you?" Kara asked.

"She told me about the plane. That you outed yourself to save her. But that's not really what I'm talking about. You could have saved her, then just disappeared back into the woodwork. People would wonder, but they would have forgotten eventually," Maggie said. "So, why do it? Why put on the cape and the 'S'."

"Because I was tired of pretending I wasn't Kryptonian," Kara said. "I did. For a long time, I did. I only ever did it to protect Alex. I gave up everything to protect her. Who I am, where I came from. I took it and shoved it all down. I forgot myself, and I forgot the First Law of Rao."

"The First Law of Rao?" Maggie asked. "What does that mean?"

" rraop w tiv aorghahs ni waila/," Kara said. "The closest translation in English is 'You must make the universe whole'. It means, you help people. You protect people. You do everything you can to make the universe better, to ease and prevent suffering, and to help those around you. It's the most important of all the laws. It's the heart of what it means to be a Kryptonian.

"Every time I go out there, every time I save someone… It's not about me, or my ego. It's not because I want the praise. It's because, for just a moment, when I save a life, when I help someone, when I make the world a better place, I can feel Rao's light on my face again. It reminds me that someday, when my time is over, I'll return to his light, and I'll see my family again."

"Kara-" Maggie started, but she was cut off by the sound of Kara's phone ringing. Kara closed her eyes and muttered something Maggie suspected was Kryptonian before pulling her phone out and answering it.

* * *

"Hey, Alex," Kara said, in a bright, cheerful tone that she used when she was trying to convince someone everything was okay, when she was really about to fall apart.

"Hey, Kara," Alex said. "Where are you?"

"I'm having a cup of coffee," Kara said.

"Are you at Noonans?" Alex asked.

"No. Why?"

"Because I'm standing in your living room with coffee and donuts, and you're not here."

"Oh, um… I'm at a friend's places."

"Which friend?" Alex asked.

"You remember Nia, from my brunch party?" Kara asked.

"The girl Brainy was stalking?" Alex asked.

"Yeah. We were working on a story late last night, and I crashed on her couch."

"Oh. You had me worried for a minute," Alex said. "You want me to swing by there and bring you home?"

"No. I'm going to ride in with Nia. She's going to swing by my place so I can grab a shower and a change of clothes."

"Okay," Alex said, and Kara could hear the disappointment in her voice.

"Can you swing by for lunch?" she asked.

"No. I can't today. Things at work are mess."

"We could do dinner tonight, if you like."

"That'd be great," Alex said.

"Ru San's?" Kara asked.

"Sounds good. What time?"

"Seven is good."

"See you then. Love you."

"Love you too."

Kara hung up the phone, then pulled up Nia's number from her contact list.

"Hey, Kara," Nia said.

"I need a favor," Kara said.

"Sure."

"This probably won't come up, but if you run into my sister for any reason, can you let her think I slept on your couch last night," Kara said.

"Um… okay," Nia said. "Should I ask why?"

"Because my overprotective big sister carries a gun, and probably wouldn't approve of where I spent the night last night," Kara said.

"Ah. Gotcha. Hope you had a good time."

"Goodbye, Nia," Kara said before hanging up the phone.

"Nia's the girl you're mentoring at Catco?" Maggie asked.

Kara looked over at Maggie. "Yeah."

"And you just let her think she's lying to your sister in order to cover for your booty call."

Kara winced. "I panicked?"

"You couldn't just tell Alex you crashed here?"

"She doesn't know I talk to you," Kara said.

Maggie looked down at her empty coffee mug.

"I'm sorry," Kara said. "She… she had a hard time, and she's just gotten her feet back under her. Just really started to move on. I don't want to…"

"It's okay," Maggie said. "I get it. She doesn't need her ex around when she'd not really past it."

"Yeah," Kara said. "That one sucks."

Maggie looked up at her. "Lot of experiences with that?"

"Depends," Kara said. "Does Mon-El showing up with his wife in tow count?"

"What the fuck?" Maggie asked.

"It's not as bad as it sounds," Kara said. "And it's worse. He showed up a couple of months after you and Alex split, except by his clock, he'd been gone seven years. He ended up about a thousand years in the future, somehow. And there I am, finally starting to get over him, when he shows up with this beautiful, smart, amazing wife. And it sucked, so much."

"You have literally got the worst fucking luck of anyone I know," Maggie said. "At least my misery is my own fault."

"What?" Kara asked.

"I knew better than to get involved with someone fresh off the boat. I knew those relationships never work out. I just… I wanted it so bad, you know. And I was stupid enough to actually believe I would be enough for some."

"You'll find someone," Kara said.

Maggie shook her head. "There's no point," she said. "Loving someone the way I loved Alex… You don't get that twice. I don't think most people even get that once. And once you've felt that way, nothing else will ever measure up."

Kara started to say something, but a noise caught her attention. She tilted her head slightly, focusing on the sound.

"I've got to go," Kara said.

"Supergirl problem?" Maggie asked.

"A passenger liner and a Supercargo just collided in the mouth of the bay," Kara said.

"Leave your clothes here. I get them back to you."

"Thanks, Mags," Kara said, and then she was gone.

* * *

Kara flew in through the window of her apartment, more than a little ready to be done with the day. She's spent half the morning keeping a passenger line from going under while the coast guard welded on hull patches, then another few hours fishing cargo containers out of the bay, before, then dragging the supercargo into a dry dock so she could be patched up. After that, there had been a bank robbery, a hand full of cat in tree level incidents and a pile up on Otto Bender Bridge. By the time she headed home, she'd missed a full day of work, she smelled like a fish market that had been doused in gasoline, and all she really wanted was a shower and some ice cream and a little time to mope before she met Alex for dinner, but the moment she touched down, she felt it. Someone had been in her apartment.

She looked around, immediately alert for a threat, any threat, but there wasn't one, and it took her a moment to sort through the various sensory input to figure out how she knew someone had been in her apartment, but she finally found in. A faint hint of coconut scented shampoo. She also spotted the stack of neatly folded clothes on her table. She walked over to the table and saw a note laying on top of the clothes.

Kara,

Take care of yourself, and next time, call be before you start drinking.

Maggie.

P.S. You really should move the spare key once in a while.

Kara smiled and reached for her phone, taking a moment to put in Maggie's contact info, then firing off a quick text.

Kara: Thanks for bringing my clothes back.

Maggie: No problem. Nice job with the bank robbery BTW.

Kara: Not mad about me interfering with police business?

Maggie: Not when I don't have to do the extra paperwork :)

Kara: Need to grab a shower. Talk later?

Maggie: Sure. Take care of yourself, okay.

Kara: You too.

Kara sat her phone aside and headed for the shower, a small smile on her face.

* * *

Translated from the Kryptonian:

.kaopahdh rraop w tiv aorghahs ni waila  
_You must make the universe whole._


	6. Blood Memory

February 3, 2019

When Maggie stepped out of the elevator on the fourth floor of Hammersmith tower, she didn't know what she was getting herself into. She'd gotten a text from Kara that said "I don't want to be alone right now. Could you come over?" and she's walked out on what may or may not have been a date with a cute blonde CSI named Patty. It felt a little ridiculous, but she was pretty sure that whatever had caused Kara to reach out like that was something big, and given what had happened the week before, she was pretty sure it had something to do with Alex.

She raised her hand to knock but the door swung open and she found Kara standing there cheeks wet with tears and a pleading look in her eyes. Maggie stepped into the apartment closed the door, and pulled Kara into a hug, squeezing as hard as she could. Kara immediately started crying again, and Maggie just stood there, holding her while she cried herself out.

"Come on," Maggie said once Kara stopped shaking. She led her over to the couch, and sat her down, before grabbing both of them a bottle of water out of the fridge. She sat down and handing Kara her bottle.

"Drink that."

Kara nodded and took a few sips from the bottle.

"You want to talk about it, or just sit?"

"Nia wanted to go home for her town's Harvest Festival. When all the flights got cancelled, she thought she wouldn't be able to go. She's got narcolepsy, so she can't drive. I volunteered to take her. It's a little town up north called Parthas. Aliens have been living out in the open there for decades, and no one bats an eyelash. It felt wonderful, being there. Just seeing the aliens moving around so freely. It reminded me of the market near the spaceport in Argo. Astra used to take me."

"Something happened?"

"Nia's mom died," Kara said. "The whole town got together for a memorial ceremony, but the Children of Liberty firebombed the building where they were holding it. They were using this drug that gave them powers. They beat up the dealers to get the drug. One of the dealers had a younger sister, and she came after them. She took the drug. The DEO showed up, and things got bad. During the fighting, one of the aliens grabbed the girl. He thought she was with the Children of Liberty. He was just defending his home, but Alex was going to shoot him. I called out to her to stop, but she didn't, and I… I just reacted. I used my heat vision to heat up her gun so she dropped it.

"She was so angry. She said I'd struck an agent of the United States Military. I tried to explain, but she wouldn't listen. She said my word wasn't good enough for them anymore. When she told me the kid wasn't one of the Children of Liberty, that she'd taken the drug because she was angry, I asked her why the girl would do that. She started talking about how feeling vulnerable makes you angry, and about how when you feel powerless, you'll do anything to feel strong. I don't her I could understand that, and she said she didn't think I could. That she didn't think I knew what it felt like to feel vulnerable. That people called me the Girl of Steel on the outside, and the in. Then she threatened to arrest me.

"It was awful. It was like she didn't know me at all."

"She didn't," Maggie said. "Kara, she doesn't know you're Supergirl anymore."

"I know," Kara said. "But she worked with Supergirl for years. I don't understand. I thought we would still be friends. I didn't know it would be so different. I didn't think she would hate me. I only became Supergirl for her. To save her. To protect her. After that first fight, after I nearly died, I was going to quit. I was going to hang up the suit. Go back to fetching Cat's coffee. But Alex convinced me the world needed me. She convinced me that I could be Supergirl. None of it was real until she believed in me, and then, when she did, it felt like I could do anything. Having her look at me like that, with hate in her eyes, I don't know if I can do this anymore Maggie."

"You can," Maggie said. She slipped an arm around Kara. "You can do this, Kara. And if Alex, the real Alex, your Alex, was here right now, she would tell you that she believes in you and she is so proud of you for standing up for what's right. But she can't do that right now, so I'll do it for her. You did the right thing, Kara. You protected people who needed protecting."

Kara shifted so she could rest her head on Maggie's shoulder. "I hate this so much," she said. "I just want my sister back."

"I know," Maggie said. "I know."

"I don't want to be alone tonight," Kara said.

"You want me to stay?" Maggie asked.

"Would you mind?"

"No," Maggie said. "I don't mind."

* * *

February 4, 2019

Kara woke up slowly, which was unusual for her on a morning when she had to work. The first thing she was aware of what the scent. It was familiar. It smelled a bit like suntan oil, heavy on the coconut, but it wasn't. Shampoo. She smelled a faint whiff of a coconut scented shampoo. Warmth came next, and with it, softness. She was pressed against someone's side, and there was an arm wrapped around her, and her arm around someone. She snuggled closer, smiling at the contact that soothed away the pain at the edge of her awareness. Sound was next. A heartbeat close by, air in and out of lungs. The soft rhythm of sleep. The heartbeat was familiar, comforting. It made her feel safe.

"It's early yet," Maggie said. "Go back to sleep."

"If it's early, why are you awake?" Kara asked without opening her eyes.

"You talk in your sleep," Maggie said.

"What did I say?" Kara asked.

"I don't know," Maggie said. "It wasn't English."

Kara frowned. "What did it sound like?"

"Don't worry about it," Maggie said. "Get some sleep."

"Maggie…"

Maggie sighed. "It sounded like 'so cow za reeves, a woks, cup'. You kept saying it, over and over again."

"/ .sokaozharrives awuhkhes khuhp/?" Kara asked, a knot of dread and shame filling her stomach.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "That's it."

"I'm sorry I woke you up," she said as she pulled away from Maggie. Maggie stopped her, or rather, Kara let herself be stopped, afraid that Maggie would hurt herself if she didn't. She buried her face against Maggie's shoulder to hide her own shame at her weakness.

"Kara?" Maggie asked.

"It's nothing," Kara said.

"It's something," Maggie said. "I knew it was bad, but you stopped when I put my arm around you, and I thought it was okay, but…"

"It means 'please don't leave me'," Kara said, too ashamed of her own weakness to look at Maggie's face. She felt Maggie's arms tighten around her.

"It's okay, Kara."

"I'm supposed to be strong," Kara said.

"You don't have to be strong all the time, Kara. It's okay to need someone. It's okay to not want to be alone."

Kara squeezed Maggie as tightly as she dared.

"Get some sleep," Maggie said. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?" Kara asked.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Promise."

* * *

Maggie stared at the coffee pot in Kara's kitchen as it slowly filled with the overpriced coffee Kara still bought because it was Cat Grant's preferred brand. Something which made a lot more sense now. Maggie couldn't even really judge Kara for hanging on to such a small piece of her relationship with Cat, now that she understood how Kara felt. God knew, Maggie's life was made up of the flotsam and jetsam of her own past relationships. The bonsai trees Etsuko had taught her how to tend, that still made up her destressing ritual after work. The yoga that Deepa had dragged her to week after week until she loved it so much it lasted long after there was nothing left of the relationship but bitterness and recriminations and an iron clad 'don't date baby gays' rule. The vegan ice cream and the guilt from her time with Emily. The alien community Cellanth had introduced her too. The inescapable loneliness Alex had left in her heart.

She and Kara seemed to have that in common.

She'd woken up in the middle of the night to hear Kara whimpering and babbling in a language that had to be Kryptonian. The same words, over and over again, each time she said them more desperate and heart breaking than before. Maggie hadn't even hesitated. She'd just reached over and pulled Kara to her, telling her it would be okay.

It was a lie, of course. Alex had been in her life a year, and Maggie didn't think she'd ever recover. She couldn't imagine what it would be like having that ripped away after a decade and a half. She imagined the pain would be a bit like watching your whole world burn. She really hoped Kara was strong enough to survive that a second time.

"I don't think the coffee is going to talk."

Maggie jumped slightly at the sound of Kara's voice, and looked over to see her, dressed and ready for work.

"What?"

"The coffee. I haven't seen you look at anything that intensely outside of an interrogation room."

"I was just thinking," Maggie said as she opened the cabinet and took down a couple of mugs.

"About anything in particular?"

"Life," Maggie said as she dumped a couple of packets of cocoa into Kara's mug. "The funny ways it leaves it's marks on you."

"What do you mean?" Kara asked.

"You still buy Cat's favorite brand of coffee," Maggie said as she poured said coffee into the mugs. "I still trim bonsai trees and go to yoga." Maggie passed Kara her mug. "And both of us spend our nights hurting, because the person who promised to never leave us did."

Kara picked up her mug and held it out. "Here's to us."

Maggie touched her mug to Kara's. "Here's to us."

* * *

Translated from the Kryptonian:

.sokaozharrives awuhkhes khuhp  
_please don't leave me_


	7. Menagerie

Notes: This is the chapter where the story starts swinging away form canon. The differences are only going to get bigger from here on out.

* * *

February 14, 2019

"Mags, could you stop being a heartless bitch for five minutes?" Debbie asked.

Maggie glared at the woman who had dragged her to literally the last place on Earth she wanted to be. "I told you I fucking hates Valentine's day. What on Earth made you think dragging me to a Valentine's day party would make me less bitchy?"

"Well, you're in a room filled with hot gay women. I figured maybe getting your pipes cleaned would mellow you the fuck out."

"Right. Because fucking my way through Hub City, Gotham and Coast City really did wonders for my mood," Maggie said. "At least tell me there's beer."

"Yeah," Debbie said. "You sit. I'll fetch us a couple of beers."

Maggie dropped down on the sofa and did her best not to pout. She'd been planning on spending the night pulling an extra shift, so she didn't have to think about how much she hated this particular day, and how once, two years earlier, for one night, she'd actually loved it. The problem was, her Lieutenant had nixed any more overtime for her.

"Why so glum?"

Maggie looked up and saw a woman in a mauve shirt, a choker, and ridiculously large hoop earrings, and Maggie had to fight to keep the scowl off her face.

"Look, um…"

"Becca," the girl said.

"Right, Becca. I'm sure you're great, but I'm not really looking. Just got out of a relationship."

"A year and a half ago," Debbie supplied helpfully as she appeared with two beers.

Maggie glared.

"She just hates Valentine's day because she hates fun."

Maggie bit back the comment that was on the tip of her tongue, because Debbie didn't have any idea why Maggie hated Valentine's day so much, and honestly, it was her own fault for letting Debbie drag her here.

"Yeah, well, next time you get dumped two weeks before your wedding, see how fast you get over it."

"Oh, ouch," Becca said. "Your ex sounds like a real bitch."

Maggie glared up at Becca, and she seemed to get the hint that she'd said exactly the wrong thing, because she took a step back.

"It was nice meeting you," she said before turning and walking away.

"Nice work," Debbie said as she dropped down on the sofa next to Maggie. Maggie grabbed one of the beers and took a long pull.

"Don't go spreading my business around," she said, glaring at Debbie.

"Look, Mags, you need to relax. Something's been bugging you for weeks."

Maggie didn't answer, because Debbie was right. Something was bugging her, which was the only reason she was here. Her lieutenant had told her to go home, and she'd been faced with the prospect of going back to her tiny little apartment, with its bare walls, and empty bed, and she couldn't do it. Not tonight, of all nights. Her first thought was to call Kara, but she knew that was a no go. Up until Alex's disastrous attempt at a date for her and Maggie's first Valentine's together, Alex and Kara had always spent the day together, so hanging out with Kara was a no go, even if she didn't have mixed feelings about the fact that they seemed to keep ending up in bed together.

"Alex?"

Somehow, the name cut through all the other noise in the room. Maggie looked up, and her heart stopped as she saw Becca of the mauve shirt and hoop earrings reach out and put her hand on Alex fucking Danvers' arm.

"What is it?" Debbie asked.

"Whose party did you say this was?" Maggie asked as she watched Alex had her purse to Kara.

"Yvette's," Debbie said. "She works at the National City Pride Center. Runs the trans support group, and the STI screening clinic. She said something about wanting to cheer up her new roommate, Nia."

"Nia Nal?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah. Why? You know her?"

"No," Maggie said as she stood up. Becca was starting to pull Alex in their direction, and if Maggie wanted to get away without being seen, she needed to move quickly. "I've got to go." She shoved her beer into Debbie's free hand and headed for the door, keeping her head down and hoping Alex was too distracted by the desperate lesbian to notice her. She would have made it, too, if it hadn't been for Debbie.

"Hey, Mags, wait the fuck up," Debbie said, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. Maggie closed her eyes and winced as she stopped. She could practically feel every eye in the room turn towards her, and sure enough, when she opened her eyes again, Alex was staring right at her, a look of pure shock on her face.

"Maggie?" Alex choked out.

Maggie forced a smile on her face and took a couple of steps towards Alex. "Hey, Danvers," she said, pouring every ounce of swagger she had into it, trying to cover the sickening mixture of anger and want churning in her stomach. "Told you I'd see you around."

"You two know each other?" Becca asked.

Maggie looked at her for a moment, her eyes dropping down to the hand on Alex's arm for a moment, before she looked up at Becca's face. The woman was standing there in that hideous mauve shirt, maroon choker and leather skirt, with earrings the size of basketball hoops handing from her ears, and a bland, generically pretty face. It was all very middle-class soccer mom sexy, and Maggie couldn't help but imagine her yelling at some underpaid kid, demanding to speak to their manager.

It wasn't a charitable thought, but in that moment, all Maggie could see was everything that had driven her and Alex apart. Alex's desire for the sort of white picket fence middle class fantasy life that Maggie had just never wanted or needed. The epitome of respectable gay. Get married, settle down, have kids. Everything was fine and dandy as long as your sexuality was your one point of non-conformity.

"Um…" Alex sputtered, and Maggie looked over at her, and it was like she was seeing Alex for the first time. She could see all the places they had fit together so well. Their drive, their dedication to their job, their desperate need to be loved, their desire to protect the people and things they cared about. But she could also see all the places where they didn't fit. Her need to protect people was born because no one had ever protected her. She'd been cast aside the moment she didn't fit, the moment she was inconvenient. Alex's need to protect was born out of loss and fear. The loss of her father, the fear that she would lose Kara. If that had been all, they might have worked, but it wasn't. As much as Alex's need to protect was born out of loss and fear, it was also born out of expectation. Her mother drumming into her over and over again that she needed to protect Kara.

Maggie looked at Alex and it was as clear as day why they didn't work out. Alex was still trying to live that perfect life, and Maggie had burned down perfect when she was fourteen years old.

"We used to work together," Maggie said.

"Oh," Becca said, and Maggie could see the annoyance on her face. "Are you FBI too?"

Maggie laughed and shook her head. "No. Danvers here was slumming it with us lowly NCPD types."

"Wait, Danvers? As in Alex Danvers?" Debbie asked, and Maggie could hear the anger in Debbie's voice.

She turned towards Debbie. "I may bitch about miss 'Your jurisdiction ends where I say it does' here, but we closed a few cases together. It's all good." She turned back to Alex. "Nice seeing you again. You have a good night."

She started towards the door again, but she'd barely taken a step when Alex called her back.

"Maggie, wait…"

Maggie turned back to Alex. "Come on Danvers. You shouldn't keep a lady waiting. I know I taught you better than that."

Alex looked like she was going to argue, but after a moment, the fight just seemed to go out of her.

"You did," Alex said.

Maggie nodded, and headed towards the door.

* * *

February 15, 2019

"Kara?" Maggie asked as she looked through the peephole.

"Yeah," Kara said. "Can I come in?"

Maggie rolled her eyes as she unlocked the door. She swung it open and stepped back. "Hey."

"Hey," Kara said as she stepped inside. She held out a large bright blue shopping bag. "I um… I know Valentine's day isn't really your thing because of what happened with your parents and all but all the chocolate shops at the mall are having a half off sale because it's the day after, and I know you like chocolate because everyone likes chocolate except Cerberonians because they're allergic which is really tragic because they can't ever have chocolate but I thought you know, I could bring you some and you'd enjoy it because it's chocolate and I made sure not to get anything in Valentine's day themed packaging because I knew you would hate it and I hope you like it and you're not mad at me for bringing you chocolate."

Maggie reached out and took the bag from Kara. "Breathe."

"Right. Yes. Breathing is good. Except sometimes when I get like this and I breath I sometimes accidently freeze everything in the room, so breathing might not be a good idea right now."

"Well, if you're going to freeze half the room, can you freeze the half that doesn't have my Bonsai trees? They don't do well in the cold."

"Yes. I mean, no. I mean, I'll just try not to freeze any of the room because that would be bad."

"Kara, calm down, okay."

"Right," Kara said. "Calm. I can do calm. I just… I thought you'd be mad at me."

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because of what happened last night."

"Oh," Maggie said, not really sure why Kara would think she was mad at her. "Kara, what happened last night wasn't your fault."

"It kind of was. I mean, we were there because I introduced Brainy and Nia, and… I mean, I didn't know you even knew Nia, so I had no way to know you'd be there, but-"

"Kara!" Maggie said.

"What?"

"I don't know Nia. Debbie knows her roommate."

"Your partner Debbie?'

"She's not my partner. She's just another cop in the Science Division. She's the one who dragged me to the party last night. She's new to the Science Division. She transferred in from Gotham."

"Oh. Are you two…?"

"No," Maggie said. "Debbie's married. Her wife Tammy is in the Air Force. I think she's deployed to Afghanistan right now. Debbie… She means well. We were friendly when I was in Gotham. When she transferred here, she heard the story about me getting dumped from some of the other guys in the unit, and she's decided that cheering me up and finding me a new girlfriend is her mission. Normally it's easy enough to just blow it off, but I don't know. I mean, two years ago, I was with Alex, and it was a disaster, but then we fixed it. And last year… I don't remember much. I was in Gotham at the time. I got shitfaced and went home with this detective named Renee. It was awkward and awful and painful and we'd both just been dumped by people we thought were going to be in our lives forever, and I don't know. I thought about coming home last night, and I just… I didn't want to be alone. Which was stupid, because I should be used to it by now, but I just couldn't face it. So I let Debbie drag me to that stupid fucking party."

"I'm sorry," Kara said.

"For what?" Maggie asked. "My shitty luck?"

"That you're hurting. That something I did made it worse. That I don't know how to help you."

"You already did."

"What?"

"Kara, you're here. You're checking on me. You care about me. That counts for a lot. And honestly seeing Alex last night… It made it better."

"What do you mean?" Kara asked.

"I mean, seeing her like that, seeing her with that woman, it made me realize that I was right that night in the bar when she kissed for the first time. Alex and I are in different places. We want different things. I liked her so much and being around her felt so good that I convinced myself that we could work. I convinced myself that loving someone was all it took.

"All this time, even since Alex told me she wanted to call it off, I've been angry with her. I kept thinking that she was throwing away something real for some fantasy. And I realized last night, when I stood there looking at her with some soccer mom want to be hanging off her arm, that I should really be angry at myself for trying to have something I knew would never work."

"No!" Kara said. "Maggie, no. You shouldn't be angry at yourself for trying to be with Alex. What you did was brave. Trying to be happy in a world that seems to want nothing more than to hurt people, that takes courage, and strength. You reached out for a chance at love, at happiness, at family. I never did that. I have let everyone I ever wanted to love walk out of my life because I was afraid to take that chance. Kenny died because I was too afraid to take that chance. I hesitated, and I let my chance with James just slip away. Cat's gone, and she isn't coming back. I tossed Mon-El into space, and when he came back, I let him walk away again. I've never been all in the way you were with Alex. I don't know if I have it in me to reach out like that. You're braver than I am. And I don't want to see you lose that just because you got hurt."

"Kara, I… I don't know what to say to that."

"Just say you won't give up. I know you said that you didn't think you'd ever find anything that would feel like what you had with Alex again, and you're probably right. But that doesn't mean you won't find something just as good, or maybe better. Someone who wants the same things you do. Someone who would love you the way you want to be loved."

"I don't think that person exists. I used to. I wanted that so bad I think I convinced myself that Alex would be that person when I knew that sooner or later the shiny would wear off. I don't think I can take that risk again. You're standing there and calling me brave but I think I'd be too scared to take that chance again."

"Doing something when you're not afraid isn't brave. It's not easy to have hope. You have to work at that. And it is terrifying sometimes because it makes you vulnerable. It means opening yourself up to being hurt. But being brave, reaching for what you want, at least offers the chance to be happy. The alternative is a lifetime of misery and despair."

Maggie smiled and shook her head. "Chocolate and a speech about hope from Supergirl. This is not how I expected my night to go."

"Yeah, but, it's better, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Yeah, actually it is."

Kara smiled so brightly, it made Maggie's chest hurt.


	8. What's So Funny About Truth, Justice

Note: Full Chapter Title is "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice and the American Way?

* * *

March 5, 2019

"How much have you had?" Maggie asked as she slid into the booth across from Kara.

"Half," Kara said, her speech a little slurred.

"I thought I told you to call me before you started drinking."

"I did!" Kara said. "I totally called you first."

"But you finished half a bottle before I got here."

"You never said I had to wait until you were here to start drinking."

"Well, new rule," Maggie said as she reached across the table and grabbed the bottle away from Kara. "You have to call me and wait until I arrive before you get hammered."

"No fair," Kara said, with a grumpy little pout. "You always take my alcohol away."

"That's because getting drunk every time you have a bad day is not a healthy coping mechanism."

"Alex does it," Kara said.

"Yeah, and I do it too. It doesn't mean you should start."

"It makes in hurt less," Kara said.

"Makes what hurt less?" Maggie asked.

"Being hated." Kara put leaned forward, propping her head up with her left arm. "Maybe I deserve it."

"Deserve to be hated?"

"Yeah," Kara said. "I try so hard, but it's never enough. People just keep dying. Astra, Kelly, Non, Jack, Rhea, Professor Stein, Leslie, Julia. So many others. I failed them all."

"Jesus, Kara," Maggie said. "Are you sure you're adopted, because that was some serious Danvers level bullshit right there."

"What?"

"You have literally saved the world three times now, that I know of. That doesn't include the time you stopped a nuke from hitting National City, or the time you stopped a mad woman from taking over the world with nanites, or the time you stopped Roulette from selling off the human race piecemeal as slaves, or the time you stopped all the aliens in National City from being tossed across the universe, along with Alex, and God knows what else you've done.

"Kara, we lose people. That's part of what we do. You go out there, and you fight so hard, you push with everything you are, but you can't save everyone. You just can't, any more than I can. Your powers, they let you do more, but they don't make you a god. You're not all powerful." She reached across the table and took one of Kara's hands.

"You are a hero, Kara."

"Then why does everyone hate me?" Kara asked.

"Who hates you?"

"Haley. The President. The Children of Liberty."

"Oh," Maggie said, kicking herself for not realizing what this was about sooner.

"I catch Ben Lockwood, who murdered people, and I got fired for it. I saved Haley's life, and she was going to blackmail me into being a government slave. I save the President, and he made Lockwood the director of alien affairs."

"Oh, sweetie, no."

"Why do they hate me, Maggie? I can hear them, right now. Their standing out there in the park, screaming 'roaches go home'. Don't they know I'd give anything to go home? I don't have a home to go back to."

Maggie stared at the tears welling up in Kara's eyes for a moment, the stood up and pulled on Kara's hand. "Come on. Get up."

"Where are we going?" Kara asked as she stood up.

"You'll see."

* * *

"Where are we?" Kara asked, sounding considerably more sober than she did before.

"Just get out of the car, Kara," Maggie said.

Kara gave her one of those adorable little grumpy pouts before she opened the door and climbed out. Maggie got out and headed for the building they were parked in front of. She led Kara around the side and stopped in front of a heavy metal security door.

"What do you see?" Maggie said, nodding towards the door.

Kara looked over at the door, which had a diamond like her symbol painted on it, except the lines most people took to be an S were replaced with a K, and above it, a series of circles, lines, dots, diamonds and squares.

"/ .shahrrehth, vokai, urkynon/" Kara whispered. She turned to look at Maggie, confusion written on her face. Maggie knocked on the door, and a small slot opened at eye leave.

"Hope, help and compassion for all," Maggie said.

The door swung open, and Maggie nodded to the huge, red skinned woman standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Sawyer."

"Hey, Click," Maggie replied.

"Who's the blonde?"

"One of yours," Maggie said.

"She need shelter?" Click asked.

"No. Just to be among family for a bit."

Click nodded and turned to Kara. "Come in, sister."

Maggie reached down, took Kara's hand, and led her inside. Once they were through the door, she heard Kara gasp at the sight, and Maggie couldn't blame her. The place was filled with aliens, and unlike Al's, this wasn't just come dive bar that happened to cater to people of otherworldly origins. The walls were decorated with art from a dozen different worlds. People sat around tables and chatted. There were a few people here and there playing instruments that had never been crafted by human hands, and aliens, some who could pass for human and some who couldn't, milled about the space, and guards at every door.

"What is this place?" Kara asked as Maggie led her deeper inside.

"It's part community center, part refuge. A safe space. Defensible. Protected. The community has been setting them up for a while. Ever since Cadmus stole the alien registry. We pass the information around person to person. Nothing on the internet, ever. Humans have to be vouched for by someone in the community, but aliens are always welcome."

"The symbol on the door?"

"It's meant to honor two people. The diamond, and the Kryptonian words are obvious. Supergirl. Because she saved all the aliens Cadmus had rounded up and herded aboard that ship. But the K inside, is for the other hero that saved lives. This place, the others like them. The community calls them 'Kara Houses', after the woman who saved thousands of lives, just by speaking up, and warning everyone on the registry of the danger.

"There are people out there who hate you for what you are, Kara. There always will be. Just like there are people out there who hate me for what I am. But these people, your community, your family, they love you. Both versions of you. Supergirl, and Kara Danvers.

"I know it's bad out there right now, and I know you're right in the thick of it. But when it gets bad, when it starts to hurt, think about this place. Think about what you mean to these people. Think about the hope you've inspired. Think about all the little kids out there, that look at you, and believe in you."

Kara looked over and gave her a watery smile, with tears glistening in those big, blue eyes, and Maggie felt a strange ache in her chest, but she didn't have any time to wonder what it was before she found herself wrapped up in Kara's arms.

"Thank you," Kara said as she hugged her tightly.

Maggie hugged Kara back, just as hard as she could.

* * *

Translated from the Kryptonian:

shahrrehth  
_hope_

vokai  
_help_

urkynon  
_compassion_


	9. Stand and Deliver

March 12, 2019

Kara walked down the street at the head of the march, holding J'onn and Brainy's hands as they marched towards the building where Lockwood was holding his rally for the repeal of the Alien Amnesty Act with over a thousand people, human and alien at their back. The feeling was indescribable, but as she glanced over at J'onn, Brainy and Nia, she could tell they felt it too. The sense of community and purpose as they all came together with a singular goal. To face down Lockwood and the other bigots, to declare that Earth was their home too and that they would not let themselves be turned back into second class citizens.

Protest movements weren't something Kara was familiar with from Krypton. Krypton's last civil rights movement had been almost ten thousand years ago and had resulted in one of the bloodiest wars in Kryptonian history. The memory was something stamped on the collective psyche of her people to the point where political dissent of this kind was almost taboo. It was a cultural blind spot that had indirectly led to the death of her people. On any world other than Krypton, Jor-El, Astra and Non might have stood a chance of warning the people of Krypton in the public forum, but Krypton's aversion to public political dissent was just another stone on the road into Rao's shadow.

Kara hadn't cared much for history classes until her course work had reached the labor movement. Over the next few months, she'd developed something of a fascination for the various civil rights moments that had unfolded over the past century or so. The idea of affecting change in society through public discourse, of taking the truth to the people, had been something especially compelling to a girl who had lost her world because of the secrets politicians had kept. It had been one of the things that had drawn her to CatCo and led her to apply for a job as Cat's assistant. She had thought that would give her a way to make a difference long before she had dared to come out as Supergirl.

She'd never imagined herself at the head of a protest march or a political moment but being out here, being with her people, her community, it felt right. It felt clear and powerful and meaningful in a way being Supergirl hadn't lately. If felt like a chance to speak truth to power without all the of the sticky politics and messy complications at came with being the Girl of Steel.

Somehow, those words still stung. The way Alex had practically spat them out at her.

The came around the last corner before the conference center where Lockwood was holding his rally, and Kara felt her stomach sink as she saw dozens of National City Police in riot gear standing there. They were off to the side, not in the direct path of the march, but one person was.

Maggie.

"What do we do?" Nia asked.

"Let me talk to her," Kara said.

"Are you sure?" Brainy asked. "Historically speaking, police are not friendly to protestors."

"Trust me," Kara said with a confidence she didn't truly feel.

Kara marched right up to Maggie and came to a stop.

"Detective Sawyer," Kara said.

"Supegirl," Maggie said. "J'onn."

"Maggie," J'onn said.

"Are you here to stop us?" Kara asked.

A small smile spread across Maggie's face. "Wouldn't dream of it," she said. "But keep it peaceful."

"We will," Kara said.

"Good," Maggie said. "If you need us…"

Kara nodded, and silently mouthed 'thank you' to Maggie. Maggie nodded, and stepped out of the way.

"Be careful, Kara," Maggie said, so softly the words would be lost to anyone without super hearing.

* * *

March 13, 2019

Maggie looked up as Kara flew in through the window of her apartment, and before she knew it, Kara had picked her up in a hug and twirled her around.

"Did you see it?" Kara asked.

"The march, the riot, the part where the new girl was tossing around glowy blue balls of stuff?"

Kara laughed as she sat Maggie down. "That's Dreamer!" she said, like that explained everything.

"And who's Dreamer?" Maggie asked.

"According to James, she's my sidekick!" Kara said, and Maggie couldn't stop herself from smiling at the enthusiasm in Kara's voice. "Did you see the news today?"

"No," Maggie lied. "Anything important happen?"

"Lockwood announced that they're backing off of the Amnesty repeal!"

"That's great!" Maggie said.

"I know!" Kara said. "And yesterday… Maggie, I know that Manchester attacking was terrible, but… I can't help it. Yesterday was amazing. Being out there… You know, I have to hide so much of myself. When I'm Kara Danvers, I have to hide everything about me that's alien, and when I'm Supergirl, I have to hide everything about me that isn't this idealized hero. I have to be this larger than life person. The Girl of Steel. But yesterday, when we were marching, I wasn't Kara Danvers, and I wasn't Supergirl. I was just me. Kara Zor-El. And it was so amazing. Being myself, out in public. Being a Kryptonian again, and not a Superhero. Just a person. I don't know. I felt like I could just be. Great Rao, I haven't felt that way in so long, not since I was on Argo, and it felt…"

"It felt like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders," Maggie said. "Like you could breathe freely for the first time in years."

"YES!" Kara said, floating a little off the ground. "How did you know that?"

"After what happened with my parents, I… I went back in the closet. Three years. The whole time I lived with my aunt, I didn't tell anyone I was gay. My aunt knew, and it helped. She's gay too. But I didn't tell anyone else. I just kept it to myself, you know. The way you hid being an alien. I thought, if no one knew, then I could just be normal. That didn't really work out very well for me. I never had any friends. Not until college. About halfway through my first semester, this girl in one of my classes dragged me over to the student center, and she marched me right into a meeting of the GSA. The Gay Straight Alliance. I have no idea how she clocked me, but I think she saved my life.

"It was weird, at first, but I kept going back, and a few weeks later, this girl, this beautiful girl, walked up to me. Britney, if you can believe it. She blushed the whole time, and I was just standing there, terrified. I thought I was going to have a heart attack, and all I wanted to do was run away, because I knew what was about to happen, but I was too scared to move. She asked me if I was gay, or bi, or just an ally, and I looked at her, and I considered lying. I thought about running out of the room, and never coming back. I thought about my aunt, about the three years she'd spent telling me it was okay to be who I was. I thought about the girl who'd dragged me there. I thought about how it was the first place that felt like home since my dad had kicked me out. And after what was probably the longest thirty seconds in history, I said, 'I'm gay.'

"It was the first time I ever said it out loud, and that's how I felt. Like this huge weight had been lifted off of me. Like I could breath for the first time since I put that stupid fucking card in Elisa Wilkey's locker. It was like, suddenly I wasn't carrying around this whole other person that I had to pretend to be."

Kara reached up, and rubbed Maggie's cheek, and Maggie frowned as she felt Kara wipe away tears she hadn't even realized she'd shed.

"I'm sorry," Kara said. "I didn't mean to bring up a painful memory."

"You didn't," Maggie said. "I honestly hadn't thought about Britney in years, but that was a good memory. I felt so much relief when I finally said it. I think that was the first time since I got thrown out that I felt whole."

She laughed a little bit. "It was such a good feeling, I kind of went overboard on the whole lesbian identity thing after that. I got an undercut, and so many flannel shirts, and a tattoo."

Kara laughed, remembering a conversation she'd had with J'onn the day before. "That sounds like me when I came out as Supergirl."

"What did you do?"

"I slept in the suit," Kara said with a bet of a blush touching her cheeks.

"You didn't." Maggie said.

"I did," Kara said. "Back on Krypton, we always wore our coat of arms. Even on our sleep clothes. It was part of who we were. That was one of the hardest things to give up when I came to Earth. Having that taken away was like having a piece of who I was torn out of me. When I put on that suit, I hadn't worn the coat of arms in almost eight years. Not since my friend Kenny died. Not even a cheap superman t-shirt. Putting the coat of arms on again felt like…"

"Freedom," Maggie said.

"Yes!" Kara said. "Exactly that."

Maggie reached out and caught Kara's hands on her own. "I wish you didn't have to hide."

"Well, with the Alien Amnesty in place, I wouldn't have to if I wasn't Supergirl. Of course, if I wasn't Supergirl, there wouldn't be an Alien Amnesty."

"It's not fair," Maggie said.

Kara shook her head. "I gave up on the idea of fair years ago."

Maggie couldn't quite hide her surprise. "That's a little cynical for you, isn't it?"

"I don't think so," Kara said. "I remember the exact moment I realized how horrible the idea of fair really is. I took a comparative religion class in college. I don't even remember why, but the professor started talking about Karma. About the idea that we cause everything that happens to us. And I sat there, thinking about everything I'd seen in my life, and what anyone could possibly have done to deserve that. I don't think I've ever felt so much horror in my life as I did that day, when I really thought about what it would mean if the universe was fair."

Maggie looked away from Kara for a minute. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, and ease the sudden ache in her chest, before she looked back up at Kara. "You know, sometimes I forget how much you've been through. I see you, and you're so happy, and cheerful. Even yesterday, out there marching against a bunch of bigots, you just looked so bright. I don't know how you do it. How you get up in the morning and be who you are."

"How do you do it?" Kara asked.

"Do what?"

"Get up in the morning and be who you are."

Maggie shrugged. "I'm nobody, Kara."

"That's not true!" Kara said with such conviction it stunned her. "Maggie, you are kind and smart and strong and loving and generous and gentle and compassionate and tough and beautiful and just..."

Kara stopped, a look of shock written on her face.

"Kara?"

"I… um… I'm sorry," Kara said, pulling her hands out of Maggie's. "I've got to go. I just remembered, Alex is coming over tonight."

"Kara, what's wrong?" Maggie asked. She didn't doubt Alex was going to Kara's for a visit, but she didn't believe for a second it had anything to do with Kara's sudden change in demeanor.

"Nothing," Kara said a little too cheerfully. "I've got to go!"

Before Maggie could say anything else, Kara was gone in a burst of super speed, and she was left wondering what the hell had just happened.


	10. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Notes: Okay, this is where the story really starts to stray from canon. Going forward, there will be dialog incorporated from the various episodes.

* * *

March 13, 2019

Kara paced back and forth across her apartment, her mind and her heart racing as she replayed what had happened in Maggie's apartment and tried to keep from screaming. Kara knew that she sometimes missed social queues. It was a thing. It wasn't that she was stupid, it was just that she had to translate human cultural queues through a Kryptonian filter.

After sixteen years on Earth, she was pretty good at getting most things, but anything to do with romance was still something of a blind spot with her. She'd apparently missed Winn's attempts to flirt with her for almost a year, and there was the thing where she didn't even realize Cat's son was flirting with her until he asked her to dinner. It was part of the reason she had developed such a passion for romantic comedies. She's watched them obsessively trying to figure out the frankly bizarre human courtship rituals. It had taken her years to figure out that what constituted flirting in romantic comedies bore very little resemblance to flirting in the real world, but eventually, she'd managed to clue in, and she could mostly spot when other people were flirting. Mostly. She'd apparently missed that the weird back and forth between Maggie and Alex when they first met was some kind of flirting, but she suspected that had more to do with her assumption that Alex was straight than anything else.

Now, it looked like she'd uncovered another blind spot.

Her experience with attraction had always been something immediate. The first time she saw Cat's talk show, she'd been attracted to her. Something which had only gotten stronger when she'd gone in for her interview. The day she'd met James, she'd felt an immediate attraction, and she'd felt it again a few days later when she'd met Susan at the DEO, and again a few weeks later when she met Lucy. She'd been attracted to Lena at their initial meeting, before things had gotten twisted and complicated, to Mon-El before he even woke up, to Nia when they'd first met, and just a few weeks ago, she'd felt the moment she first laid eyes on Kate Kane like a physical blow. There had been others over the years. Kenny back in high school. A hand full of boys and girls in college.

She hadn't really felt much of anything the first time she met Maggie. She wasn't really sure how much of that had been the situation, but by the second time they'd met, there had been that weird tension in the air between Maggie and Alex, and after that, things had been weird, and by the time they weren't weird, Maggie was firmly in a box labeled 'Alex's girlfriend'.

Kara had known, intellectually, that Maggie was an attractive woman. But somewhere, over the past few months, between the day she'd bandaged the wound on Maggie's arm, and the time she'd flown in Maggie's window and hugged her senseless, she'd apparently become aware of that on a much more visceral level. She hadn't realized it. Not until she'd been about to tell Maggie how beautiful she was. Not until she'd realized she was repeating the same words she had used to describe Cat to Maggie weeks ago.

That wasn't the realization that she was attracted to Maggie that had stopped her in her tracks though. She'd dealt with attraction before. Nia and Lucy had been her friends and she'd never let her attraction to them get in the way. She could put that attraction to the side and just treasure their company. What had stopped Kara cold, what had made her panic, was the realization that what she felt for Maggie was a lot closer to what she'd felt for Kenny and for Cat, than the pleasant buzz of attraction she felt towards Lucy or Nia, or the visceral want she'd felt around Kate.

Kara wasn't human. She'd gotten so good at blending in that most people forgot she wasn't born on Earth, that she wasn't raised on Earth, that she had grown up with an entirely different set of hopes, dreams and expectations for more than a decade before arriving on Earth, and most of them didn't even realize that she hadn't really made anything other than a passing effort to assimilate into human culture for years after that. She might be fascinated with human notions of romance and passion. She might hope to find a partner she could share those things with. But they weren't the Kryptonian ideal for a relationship. Kara had been raised in a culture that viewed relationships as partnerships. Relationships were about people coming together, sharing burdens and caring for each other in times of need. El Mayarah. Stronger together.

She could see it now. The last few weeks, she'd been going to Maggie. Every time something with Lockwood and the Children of Liberty body checked her, every time Alex hurt her, Maggie had been the person she'd gone to, or the person who reached out to her. Maggie, who was quickly becoming Kara's rock. She had somehow slotted into Kara's life the way a spouse would have, back on Krypton. A source of strength and comfort that she could share her burdens with.

It couldn't happen. It couldn't. No matter how good it felt having someone she could share everything with. No matter how good it felt waking up with Maggie's arms around her, or how much she suddenly wanted that every day.

Maggie belonged to Alex.

Kara dropped down on the couch, and squeezed her eyes shut.

Maggie belonged to Alex.

Kara wasn't under any delusion that they would get back together. Even if Alex suddenly changed her mind, there was no chance that Maggie would take her back. That wasn't the issue. Maggie was Alex's first girlfriend, her first love, very nearly her wife.

Maggie would never not belong to Alex.

But Kara couldn't just walk away from Maggie, either. Maggie was her family, and she'd promised she would do better this time. She promised that she would be there for Maggie whenever Maggie needed her. She'd just have to get it together, stuff her feelings down, and pretend she didn't feel anything more than friendship. She'd done it before. She'd done it for years, with Cat. She could do it again.

She looked over at the sound of someone in the hall, and bit down on the urge to scream. Alex was here for their sister night. She could do this. She could do this.

She had to do this.

* * *

March 14, 2019

Maggie had been a cop for nine years, and one skill she had honed to an art during that time was going from completely asleep to wide awake in the span of a single ring from her phone. It wasn't a skill she enjoyed, because one constant of her life was that good news came by text. If someone was calling her, she was about to hear something terrible. For some reason, people were under the mistaken impression that the human voice made bad news easier to take.

So, when her phone rang at just past one in the morning, Maggie wasn't under any illusion that she was going to like whatever waited for her on the other end of the line. When she saw Kara's name on her caller ID, she felt a moment of relief, wondering if it was just another call to come fetch a drunk superhero from Al's bar. Not ideal, but much better than any of the other options.

She swiped to accept the call.

"Maggie?" Kara said, and the dread came back, because Kara didn't sound drunk. She sounded terrified.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Are you okay?"

"No. I… I was… It's James," Kara said, and Maggie could tell she was barely getting the words out between sobs.

"Kara, where are you?" Maggie asked as she climbed out of bed and started getting dressed.

"Plastino Memorial," Kara said.

"I'm on my way," Maggie said. "Kara, is anyone with you?"

"Alex is on her way."

Maggie bit back the curse. On her way meant Alex wasn't there yet, which meant Kara was alone. And even when Alex got there, it wouldn't be a lot better. Not when Alex didn't know. "Okay. I'll be there soon. I want you to sit down and wait for me, alright."

"Okay," Kara said. "Hurry."

"As fast as I can," Maggie said. She cut the connection and called J'onn.

"Maggie?"

"Kara's at Plastino Memorial. Something's happened to James. I don't know what, but Kara's almost incoherent. I'm on the way, but it will take me at least fifteen minutes. You're faster."

"I'm on my way."

Maggie hung up and started getting dressed.

* * *

By the time Maggie walked into the ER at Plastino Memorial seventeen minutes later, she'd been briefed by the scene commander. They didn't know much. Just that Supergirl had contacted them from the phone in the ER and told them that James Olsen had been shot in his office at CatCo, and that she had already transported him. They were still securing the scene. Two CSI's were reviewing CatCo's internal security footage, but it could be hours before they knew anything concrete, and given the location, the crime scene was going to be contaminated as hell.

Maggie had just thanked him and hung up. There was a part of her that wanted to go over and work the case. She and James weren't exactly best friends, but she knew him, had spent countless hours with him on game nights and other occasions where their lives intersected. It felt personal. Which was why she'd never be allowed to work the case. Because it was personal.

Besides, right now, Kara needed her.

There was a time, not so long ago, those words strung together in that order would have been laughable, but Kara had lost her primary support structure. Maggie knew Kara had other people around her who cared about her, ones who knew her secret and ones who didn't, but Kara had reached out to her, and Maggie knew that meant something. She wasn't sure what, especially after what happened that afternoon, but the fact that Kara had chosen to reach out to her before anyone else was important.

"Maggie," J'onn called.

Maggie turned towards the sound of J'onn's voice and saw him sitting on one of the benches in the waiting area, his arm around Kara's shoulders. Kara looked up at her, and Maggie felt her heart sink at the look of utter devastation on her face. She walked over and held her arms out, and Kara stood up and hugged her.

"Are you okay?" Maggie asked.

"No," Kara said. "There was so much blood. The bullet hit his spine, and…"

"You found him?" Maggie asked.

Kara nodded. "He had the signal watch. He must have activated it before he passed out."

Maggie squeezed Kara tightly, rubbing her back as she looked over Kara's shoulder at J'onn, one thought loud and clear in her mind. That if James had been hit in the spine, there was next to no chance he'd been the one to activate the watch. J'onn gave her a small nod, and she turned her attention back to Kara.

"What do you need right now?" she asked. "What can I do to help?"

"Just stay, please?" Kara asked.

"For as long as you want," Maggie said.

* * *

Maggie was sitting in the waiting room, holding Kara with Kara's head resting on her shoulder when Alex walked in. She looked around for a moment until she spotted Maggie, Kara and J'onn sitting in the waiting room, and Maggie saw the same look of shock on Alex's face that she'd had that night at the Valentine's day party. To her credit, she only hesitated for a moment before she headed over to them.

Kara stood up and Maggie watched as she and Alex hugged each other.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked.

"Yeah," Kara said. "I wasn't there when it happened. Supergirl found him, and she knows James is my friend, so she called me."

"Any idea why she didn't call me?"

"She was probably trying to protect you," J'onn said. "If Haley is monitoring your phone, and Supergirl were to contact you, it could get you fired, or arrested."

"Are things really that bad at the DEO?" Maggie asked.

Alex looked at her for a moment. "Things are kind of tense between Supergirl and the government right now. We're not supposed to have any contact."

"And you're okay with that?" Maggie asked.

"What does it matter to you?" Alex asked. "You never really liked Supergirl that much anyway."

"Guys, don't fight, please," Kara said.

"Sorry," Maggie said, and she sort of meant it. She was sorry she'd said it in front of Kara when Kara was already upset, but she was surprised by Alex. The Alex she'd known had always been ride or die for her friends, and the casual tone Alex had when she'd said she wasn't supposed to have any contact with Supergirl felt wrong.

"I wasn't fighting," Alex said.

"Kara!" someone called. Maggie looked over to see a tall girl with long black hair headed their way, followed by a man with shoulder length hair who was about the same height. Kara hugged the girl, then the man.

"Thanks for coming," Kara said.

"Of course," the man said.

"Nia, Brainy, this is Maggie," Kara said.

Maggie stood up. "Nice to meet you."

"Maggie Sawyer?" Brainy asked.

"Yes," Maggie said.

"Detective Maggie Sawyer of the National City Police Department, Science Division?"

"Yes."

"It's an honor," Brainy said.

"Thank you, I guess," Maggie said. "Do we know each other somehow?"

"No. We most certainly do not," Brainy said.

Maggie stared at Brainy for a moment, running through what she knew about him. He was from the future. He worked at the DEO with Alex. He was a Coluan. It wasn't much to go on. Nothing that gave her any sort of hint about why he even knew who she was.

"Are you a friend of James's?" Nia asked.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "I hadn't seen him in a while, but yeah."

"Family of James Olsen," the triage nurse called.

"Excuse me," Kara said, and headed towards the nurse's station. Nia and Brainy followed her.

"So…" Alex said.

Maggie turned to her. "Yes?"

"Um… Don't take this the wrong way, but why are you here?" Alex asked.

"One of the uniforms who caught the call knew I was friendly with James. They gave me a head's up."

Alex frowned. "You're not going to tell me the real reason, are you?"

Maggie sighed and looked over at J'onn. "Give us a minute?"

"Of course," he said. He got up and headed after Kara.

Maggie turned back to Alex. "James is a friend of Supergirl."

"I know," Alex said.

"So am I."

"Oh," Alex said. "I thought you didn't like her."

Maggie shrugged. "Things change. She saved my ass a while back, right before that business on Shelby Island."

"What happened?" Alex asked, and Maggie could hear the concern in her voice.

Maggie reached up and patted her arm. "Got grazed by a bullet. Wouldn't have been that big a deal, but it was alien tech."

"Are you okay?" Alex asked.

"Yeah. They had to debride the wound, which sucked, but if Supergirl hadn't been there, I'd have lost the arm."

Alex paled visibly, and Maggie felt a little bad.

"She didn't say anything," Alex said.

"The way I hear it, you two aren't running buddies anymore."

"But Shelby Island was before…"

"Before the DEO thanked her for bringing in a terrorist and a murderer by firing her. Good move, by the way."

"That wasn't my decision," Alex said.

"No, but you sure fell in line, didn't you?"

"What?"

"You threatened to arrest her, Alex."

"How do you know about that?"

"Like I said, she's a friend. Sometimes, friends talk about things that are bothering them. She talks a lot about you."

"Me?"

"Yeah," Maggie said. "She thought you were her friend. The two of you worked together for three years, and she saved your life how many times?"

"Fifteen."

"Fifteen times. She's save your life fifteen times. Fought alongside you for three years, but you tossed her aside like yesterday's trash because what, the bigots in charge decided to kick her to the curb for refusing to sell out the people she cares about?"

"Is that what she told you?"

"No. That's not what she told me. She still thinks the world of you, even after you threatened to arrest her."

"She attacked me with her heat vision," Alex snapped.

"Yeah. She mentioned that part. The part where she called out to you not to shoot, and you ignored her, and the only way she could stop you from shooting someone who was defending his home after a bunch of racists firebombed a funeral."

"We got there in the middle of the fight. We didn't know what was going on."

"Did you hear her tell you not to shoot?"

"Yes."

"Then you knew enough. You knew the woman who saved your life fifteen times, the woman who fought by your side for three years, the woman who fought her own family to protect this planet, the woman who forgave you after you literally stabbed her aunt in the back told you not to shoot. And after she stopped you from hurting an innocent man, you stood there and told her that after everything she's done, her word isn't good enough for you. She would die for you, without hesitation. She nearly has, more than once, and you made her feel like she was nothing to you."

"This isn't about Supergirl, is it?"

Maggie stood up and took a step towards Alex, getting right up in her personal space.

"That would be convenient for you, wouldn't it? If you could just put all of this down to me being mad about what happened between us. Except, I'm not. I knew better that to get involved with you. I knew we weren't on the same page. I knew I'd be setting myself up to get my heart broken, and I knew when it happened, I'm probably take you down with me. What happened between us, that's on me.

"So no, I'm not mad at you because of what happened between us. I'm mad at you because she never will be. She won't ever let herself be mad at you. She will stand there and take a Kryptonite bullet through the heart, just because you're the one firing it, and spend the whole time she's dying blaming herself for what you did. So the next time the woman who was willing to risk having her atoms smeared across a thousand light years of hyperspace to keep you and half the alien population of National City from being evicted from the planet asks you to listen, maybe you should remember that you owe her at least that much."

Maggie turned and headed towards the nurse's station, leaving a speechless Alex staring after her.

* * *

Maggie stood next to the vending machines, nursing a cup of truly terrible coffee and trying to calm herself down. She hadn't meant to lay into Alex like that. She hadn't realized just how angry she was at Alex for hurting Kara. But it was just like Alex to do what she thought was best, without stopping to listen to what people actually wanted.

Not that Maggie had a lot of room to talk. She was just as bad. Everything had to go her way. She didn't like Valentine's day and I didn't want to talk about why, so instead of having a conversation like a fucking adult, she'd just ignored any hints that her girlfriend wanted to celebrate it. She'd drop massive amounts of money on concert tickets without checking to see if Alex already had plans. She'd spent her and Alex's entire relationship, and most of her other relationships, dictating terms, and the relationship worked because Alex was willing to bend over backwards to accommodate what Maggie did and didn't want, right up until Maggie had found the one thing Alex wasn't willing to bend on.

It was funny how much easier it was to see the mistakes they'd both made when she was on the outside, watching Alex make those same mistakes with Kara. Choosing the mindwipe when Kara begged her not to. Taking away Kara's safe space. Taking away the person Kara could always be completely honest with.

Maggie wanted to go back and scream at her, to ask what the hell she'd been thinking, but she couldn't. Because Alex didn't know she'd done it, and because Maggie wasn't enough of a hypocrite to pretend like she wouldn't have been one of the ones lining up to have her mind wiped if she'd still been in the inner circle. She would have protected Kara, even before. She knew, because she'd done it. She'd kept Kara's secret, and not just because of Alex. She'd kept it because Kara had lost enough. Her home. Her whole world. She would have been in line to protect Kara, and it would have been wrong, because taking away her home and family again was too much.

"You okay?"

Maggie looked up to see Kara standing at the entrance to the small room that held the vending machines.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Just… Seeing Alex is hard."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to stay."

"No," Maggie said. She tossed the lukewarm coffee into the trash. "No, you needed me here, and I wanted to be here for you."

"What you said to Alex…"

"You heard that?"

"Hard to miss."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Kara said. "It's nice, knowing you care that much."

"Well, you know, I always did have a thing for blondes."

Kara laughed, just a little too loud, and Maggie watched in fascination as the cutest blush spread across her face.

Maggie reached out and caught one of Kara's hands in hers.

"How are you doing?" Maggie asked.

"Better. J'onn thinks Manchester Black shot James to get to him."

"Shit. Any idea where Manchester is now?"

"Not yet, but J'onn's searching for him. It's only a matter of time."

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Maggie said.

"Yes, but I think you should go," Kara said. "I know being here is hard, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Will you be okay if I go?"

"Yeah," Kara said. "Things are weird, but Alex is still my sister. And J'onn and Nia and Brainy and Lena are all here. I'll be fine. Thank you for coming."

"Of course." Maggie pulled Kara into a hug. "If you need me…"

"I'll call."

* * *

Kara hovered over Maggie's apartment, watching her with X-Ray vision as she sat trimming one of her Bonsai trees. The last twenty-four hours had been an unending stream of insanity, and it had all started with the moment when she realized that her feelings for Maggie had shifted. She'd been in a near panic at the time, terrified of going near her because of how easy it would be to destroy what was still a fragile relationship, and equally terrified of the damage she could do to her relationship with Alex. Now, though, all she wanted was to be close to her. To have someone she could talk to and be honest with in a way she couldn't with Alex or J'onn or Nia or Brainy. Someone who knew her, and who didn't look at her like they were expecting her to make everything better with just a wave of her hand.

A part of her felt like she should keep her distance, like this was every bit as dangerous as it had felt the night before, but she knew she couldn't stay away. As selfish as it was, she needed Maggie right now. She'd just have to keep her feelings bottled up, the way she had with James when James was still with Lucy. Because there was no way that could possibly end badly.

She took a deep breath and let it out as she drifted down, until she was hovering outside Maggie's window. She knocked softly. Maggie looked up from her tree, and her face split with a big smile framed by the most beautiful dimples, and Kara swore she felt her heart skip a beat.

This was a terrible idea.

Maggie got up and unlocked the window, then stood aside so Kara could come inside. Kara barely had her feet on the ground before Maggie pulled her into a hug.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Kara said. "The dam is going to need a lot of work, but honestly, as fights go, it wasn't that bad."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Maggie said as she let go.

Kara smiled and caught one of Maggie's hands in her own, giving it a small squeeze.

"I'm fine," Kara said in what she hoped was a reassuring tone. "Manchester Black is dead. The rest of the Elite are in prison. The Amnesty repeal is stuck in committee in congress, and is likely to die there, and James is going to make a full recovery."

"He is?" Maggie asked. "How? I thought his spine was shattered."

"I'm not sure," Kara admitted. "Some sort of regenerative drug Lena's been developing. I didn't ask the details."

"Yeah. Sometimes with Lena, it's better not to."

"Maggie…"

"I'm sorry. I know you like her, but…"

"You're not a fan."

"Yeah. The whole 'making Kryptonite' thing. Seriously, what the fuck?"

"She was trying to help," Kara said.

"By making poison that's only deadly to two people on the planet?"

"She found out that one of her friends was Reign, and she was using the Kryptonite to keep her restrained while she figured out how to remove the crazy, world killing monster personality from her brunch buddy."

"Yeah, now I'm angry and creeped out."

"I'm making it sound bad," Kara said.

"I'm not really sure there's a way it doesn't sound bad."

"She did end up helping with the whole Reign situation. And she saved James's life today."

"Then I guess we'll call this one a win."

"Good. I could use all of those I can get."

"Yeah," Maggie said. "You've had a rough run of it that last few months."

"That's an understatement. Ever since Olivia got outed as an alien, I feel like the whole world has gone insane. But at least with the Elite out of the way, we can focus on turning public opinion around defeating the Amnesty repeal and getting rid of Lockwood and the Children of Liberty."

"You going to hit them with another round of articles?" Maggie asked.

"Either that, or toss Baker and Lockwood into space," Kara said.

"If only," Maggie said. "You know, you should talk to some of the aliens who've been around since before the Amnesty. Interview them about what life was like before they were able to live out in the open."

"That's a good idea," Kara said. "You know a lot of them. Could you help me set up some interviews?"

"I could try. I'm not sure how many of them would be willing to talk to a reporter, but if I tell them you're the one doing to interviews, I think at least a few of them would meet with you."

Kara felt herself blush a little at the reminder of how the aliens viewed both of her personas, and when Maggie smiled at her, she had to fight down the urge to lean in and kiss her, which probably meant it was time to go, before she did something stupid.

She gave Maggie's hand a small squeeze. "I should let you get back to your night."

"Okay," Maggie said, and it was probably Kara's imagination, but she could have sworn Maggie sounded a little disappointed. "You headed back to the hospital?"

"No," Kara said with a shake of her head. "Everyone else is staying until James can have visitors, but I can't spend another night there. I know Alex will probably be mad at me for not coming back, but hospitals are hard for me."

"Why would Alex get mad?"

"Because I kind of skipped out today. I went with J'onn to help with Manchester Black, but I couldn't tell Alex why I wasn't there, and you know Alex."

"She got pissed, because she thought you'd run out on family," Maggie said.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry," Maggie said.

"It's not your fault."

"No, it's not, but you're hurting, and I don't know how to help."

"You being here helps," Kara said.

Maggie squeezed Kara's hands again. "I know you probably want to go home and sleep in your own bed, but if you'd rather not be alone, you could stay."

Kara's heart skipped a beat at the thought of spending the night curled up with Maggie. That alone was enough to let her know she should say no, even without the urge to kiss her that came with it. Just being this close to Maggie was making her heart pound, and she knew she should say no. She knew she should, and she opened her mouth to do just that, but what came out was, "I'd really like that."

She knew the whole night was going to be torture. Having Maggie right there and having to keep what she was feeling to herself. But the smile Maggie gave her was worth it.


	11. The House of L

Warning: Sort of but not really major character death.

* * *

March 15, 2019

The smile Maggie wore as she made her way through the bullpen was making more than one of her coworkers a little nervous. She normally had nothing but a scowl on her face until she'd finished her coffee, and it was one of the things that helped cement her reputation as someone you didn't fuck with, but she just couldn't help it. She'd woken up that morning with Kara curled up against her side like an extra cuddly space heater, and she hadn't been able to stop smiling since.

It was crazy. It normally took her a long time to warm up to someone enough for her to enjoy them staying over. Usually it made her feel cramped and uncomfortable. Sex was a lot easier than letting someone share her space, and that was with a girlfriend. Letting a friend spend the night was damn near unheard of for her. It brought back too many memories of the years after she moved out of her aunt's, where she'd lived with too any roommates while she struggled to put herself through college so she could get into the police academy.

The rules didn't seem to apply to Kara though. She'd spent three nights now curled up with her, holding her, and even thinking about it made her smile. Kara made her feel connected, made her feel cared for, made her feel like she mattered to someone. That was something she hadn't felt in a long time. Not since she'd left those rings on the shelf in Alex's apartment.

"Oh! My! God!"

Maggie jerked up in her chair and looked over at Debbie, who was standing there looking like the cat who got the canary.

"What?" Maggie asked.

"Who is she?" Debbie asked as she dropped down into the chair next to Maggie's desk. "What's her name? Is she hot? Is she blonde? Brunette? Redhead?"

"Debbie, what are you talking about?"

"The girl who put that smile on your face. I have to know everything. Where'd you meet her? What does she do? If she butch? Femme?"

"God, are really having this conversation? There's no girl," Maggie said.

"Bullshit," Debbie said. "You have the biggest 'I'm so in love' smile I've ever seen outside of a wedding picture on your face right now, and I want to know who she is."

"Oh, for fuck sake," Maggie said, because Debbie was being ridiculous. "I'm in a good mood. That doesn't mean I'm seeing someone."

"Well, then, enlighten me. What is the cause of this alleged good mood?"

"I swear to god, you are a child."

"Oh, so defensive. She must be something special."

"I had breakfast with a friend," Maggie said.

"I knew it!"

"FRIEND, Debbie. As in, platonic. As in someone who's company I enjoy. Unlike yours."

"That hurts. Really."

"Good."

"So, does this 'friend' have a name?"

Maggie stared at Debbie for a moment, considering her answer. If she told Debbie Kara's name, Debbie would never let it go. She'd probably run a background check, and find out that Kara was Alex's sister, and draw all the wrong conclusions. But if she didn't tell Debbie Kara's name, it would actually be worse, because the woman was a cop, and any cop worth their salt was like a dog with a bone when there was something they wanted to know and didn't. She needed a way to put Debbie off, and fortunately, she had one. The truth.

"Okay, you got me," Maggie said loud enough for the dozen or so detectives that were trying to pretend they weren't eavesdropping could hear. "I'm smiling because Supergirl dropped by last night."

Debbie glared. "What about your breakfast friend?" she asked.

Maggie gave her a smug smile. "I said she dropped by last night. I didn't say when she left."

Debbie sighed and shook her head. "You know, it wouldn't kill you not to be a complete ass every once in a while."

Maggie shrugged. "You wanted to know."

"You are such a bitch."

Maggie leaned back in her chair. "She's a cuddler."

Debbie flipped her the bird as she stood up.

"She made me pancakes for breakfast."

"Fuck you, Sawyer."

"They were blueberry."

* * *

"Hey, Sawyer."

Maggie looked up from the report she was writing, to see Hodges smirking at her.

"What?"

"Looks like last night's booty call is getting her ass kicked all over national TV."

"What the fuck are you…" Maggie stopped, as it clicked, and turned to her computer. She pulled up CatCo News's website and clicked on the live feed.

"…the Girl of Steel just can't seem to get an advantage on Luthor," the reporter said. "Again, for those of you who are just joining us, we are watching live footage of a fight between Supergirl and an armoring individual who appears to be Lex Luthor. The fight, which began just twenty minutes ago in the skies about National City has raged across the entire country, with the pair spotted in Hub City, Keystone City, Fawcett City, Gotham and now Metropolis."

Maggie tuned out the commentary as she watched Kara and Lex fucking Luthor fight. The battle was one of the most vicious she'd ever seen Kara in, and she'd watched more than one grudge match. The two of them were trading blows that rattled windows as they went round and round in the skies. She gripped the arms of her chair, her nails digging in every time Lex landed a blow.

A glowing green blade slid out of the arm of Lex's suit, and Maggie felt her heart stop as he lunged towards Kara, aiming right for her heart. Kara dodged at the last second, and grabbed Lex, spinning around and throwing him into the massive globe on top of the Daily Planet. When he came out of the bottom of the globe, he bounced once before his suit opened up, spilling him into the roof of the building.

Maggie let out a sigh of relief. Without his suit, there was no way Lex could go toe to toe with Kara, and she watched as Kara slammed down onto the rooftop and slapped Lex away from his suit, sending him flying to the opposite side of the roof. Kara marched over and took a swing, clearly intending to knock Lex out cold before she brought him in, but Lex caught her fist, stopping it cold. The look of shock on Kara's face was clear as day, and Maggie silently told her to get out of there, but Kara said something, and Lex said something back, and Lex's suit lifted off the ground, and shot Kara in the back with two green beams.

Kara staggered under the blow, but she spun around and blew the suit apart with her heat vision. She turned back to Lex, but he punched her across the roof, and when she hit the ground, the camera got a good view of her face, and Maggie felt her stomach lurch at the vein like pattern of bright green lines standing out on her skin. Maggie had never seen it before, but Alex had drilled into her the signs and symptoms of Kryponite poisoning.

She watched, helplessly, as Kara struggled, trying her best to get up, but she didn't seem to have the strength to even support herself, and she just collapsed back onto the roof. Lex ripped the giant globe off its mounting and lifted it over his head. Maggie begged Kara to get up, but Kara didn't move. She just lay there, her chest heaving as the lines of green stood out on her skin, until Lex slammed the globe down on her.

Maggie wasn't sure what happened next. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the video feed, from the sight of the globe resting on top of Kara. She couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't feel. Not until two words scrolled across the bottom of the screen.

"Supergirl dead?"

Maggie's stomach heaved, and she ran for the bathroom.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Debbie asked.

Maggie lifted her head and glared up at Debbie. "Do I look like I'm fucking okay to you?"

"Right, stupid question." She lowered herself down to the floor and sat next to Maggie. "You look like a woman who's sitting on the floor of a stall in a ladies' room that stinks of vomit, because you just finished puking your guts out. So, no, you don't look okay."

Maggie closed her eyes and dropped her head back down, praying Debbie would just go the fuck away.

"Maggie-"

"Don't," Maggie said, because she didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to think about it, either, but she couldn't stop. Kara was dead. Worse, Kara had died alone. No Alex in her ear, shouting encouragement, no J'onn, or Dreamer, or Brainy, or Guardian, or Mon-El, backing her up. Kara had died, and Maggie had watched, and she'd been helpless.

"You knew her," Debbie said.

Maggie squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back tears, because once she started crying, she wasn't sure she was ever going to stop. Kara was dead, and nothing was ever going to be alright again.

"I knew her," Maggie said.

"Not just from her showing up at scenes."

"No," Maggie said. "When I was liaising with the FBI, we worked together a lot. She was a friend."

"A good one, I'm guessing."

"Yeah," Maggie said. "She was kind, and bright, and a little full of herself sometimes. She liked donuts, and she put six sugars in a single cup of coffee, and she liked Hawaiian Pizza, and she would use her heat vision to toast marshmallows for smores in the middle of the break room, and when she got bored during briefings she would solve multivariable deferential equations with her left hand while she drew Hello Kitty cartoons with her right."

"She solved math problems for fun?"

"Yeah," Maggie said. "She just…"

Maggie bit her lip, to keep anything else from coming out, because even with Kara dead, the secret had to be kept. She should get up, and make sure J'onn knew.

There was a knock on the door, and Maggie opened her eyes. She watched Debbie get up off the floor and leave the stall. She couldn't make out what Debbie said, or who she was talking too, but a moment later, Bell stepped into the stall and knelt down. She held out a bottle of mouthwash.

"Figured you might want to rinse," Bell said.

Maggie took the bottle and twisted it open. She took a mouth full and sloshed it around a bit, then leaned over and spit it into the toilet before repeating the process until she couldn't taste her own vomit anymore.

"Ma'am," Bell said.

"Yeah?"

"She's alive," Bell said.

"What?"

"We were watching the feeds from Metropolis. Everyone is trying to find out as much as possible, because they're not sure where the manhunt will be focused. It took about twenty minutes. The globe was blocking the roof access at the Daily Planet, so they were talking about going up in a helicopter to recover the body, when the globe started moving. Supergirl shoved it aside. When she stood up, it was obvious her arm was broken, but she just pulled it until it was straight again, then she picked up the globe, put it back on it's mount, and flew off."

"She's alive?"

"Yes ma'am."

Maggie closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. She got to her feet, and Bell and Debbie both scrambled to get out of her way.


	12. All About Eve

Notes: This chapter incorporates canon dialog from the episode "All About Eve"

* * *

March 15, 2019

"J'onn?" Kara called as she walked into his office.

"Up here," J'onn called down from the upper level. Kara rushed up the stairs and found J'onn kneeling in a meditation pose. He looked up at her, and the contemplative expression on his face changed to one of concern.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he stood up.

"Lex Luthor's escaped from prison."

"How?" J'onn asked.

"I don't know," Kara said. "I was on my way from the hospital back to my apartment to change for work, when I heard gunfire and explosions out by the Luthor Estate. I went to investigate, and Lex was flying away in a stolen air ambulance. He jumped out and one of his Lexosuits caught him. We fought, but he caught me off guard. He had Superpowers, and he dosed me with Kryptonite."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. The Kryptonite's worn off, but we have to find him before he does something terrible."

"I'll let Alex know."

"I already have. I went to the hospital first. She was still there with James. She's looking for Lena."

"Lena's missing?"

"She's not at her apartment, LCorp, or the Luthor Estate. I didn't have time to do much of a search. Lex already has a half hour or so head start."

"Okay. Where did you last see him?"

"Metropolis. We-"

Her phone's text alert sounded and had reached down and pulled her phone out of her boot.

Maggie: Need to see you.

Kara felt a surge of panic. Lex was notorious for going after people who had any sort of public connection to Superman. Jimmy and Lois were the most frequent fliers, but they weren't the only ones, and Maggie was connected to her. Not recently, and not overtly, but there were more than a few pictures floating around of them talking at crime scenes. Most people would dismiss it, but Lex was obsessed, and the thought that he might go after Maggie because of her was enough to make it hard to breath.

Kara: Where are you?

Maggie: On my way to my apartment. I'll be there in ten minutes.

Kara: I'm on my way.

She looked up at J'onn.

"What is it?"

"Maggie. She needs to see me."

"Go," J'onn said. "I'll go to the Luthor Estate and see if I can pick up the trail."

* * *

Maggie looked up as Kara flew in through the window of her apartment and was on her feet before Kara touched down.

"Are you okay?" Kara asked.

Maggie didn't answer, she just wrapped her arms around Kara and squeezed as her as she could, trying to convince herself that Kara was actually there. That she was solid and real and most of all, alive. When she felt Kara's arms wrap around her, she was able to relax for the first time since she realized what Hodges was talking about.

"Maggie?" Kara asked, confusion in her voice.

"You're alive," Maggie said.

"Yeah. Um…"

The sob surprised her, and she held Kara tighter. "You're alive."

"Maggie, I don't understand."

"He shot you with Kryptonite, and then he hit you with that stupid globe, and I thought…"

She couldn't get the words out, but Kara seemed to understand. She squeezed a little harder.

"I'm sorry," Kara said. "I didn't… I… I didn't know anyone even knew about the fight."

"You didn't know?" Maggie asked, sounding a little hysterical even to her own ears. She pulled away so she could see Kara's face. "Half the fucking planet saw it."

"It was just a fight," Kara said.

"It was Lex fucking Luthor," Maggie said. "He had Kryptonite. He had a sword and Kryptonite lasers and I thought I saw you die."

"Maggie-"

"Shut up!" Maggie said as she pulled Kara back into a hug and buried her face in Kara's neck.

"I'm sorry," Kara said.

"Shut up," Maggie said. "You can't do this to me. You can't come into my life and make me feel like someone cares about me, make me feel like I matter, make me feel like someone loves me and then just take it away from me."

"Maggie-"

"Shut up." She pulled back and looked up at Kara, looking into those blue gray eyes that were looking back at her like she was the most important thing in the world, and she couldn't breathe. It felt like an elephant was standing on her chest.

"You can't make me love you and then leave," she said. "You can't. You can't take that away from me."

"Maggie, I'm not-"

Maggie reached up and covered Kara's mouth with her fingers. Kara stopped talking, but she didn't move away. She just took there and waited as Maggie stared up at her. She shifted her hand, running her fingers over soft, smooth skin, trying to reassure herself that Kara was really there, really alive, and that what she'd thought she'd seen wasn't what she'd actually seen.

Kara was there. Kara was alive. Kara hadn't left her.

She watched as Kara closed her eyes as she cupped her cheek. Kara leaned into the touch, and Maggie felt her shudder.

"Kara?"

Kara opened her eyes, and Maggie felt something shift between as she saw the look in Kara's eyes. The air was suddenly thick with tension, and the whole atmosphere charged as they stared into each other's eyes. Maggie's heart pounded and her breathe quickened and she squeezed her thighs together.

"Maggie…" Kara said softly.

It took an eternity for her to rise up on her toes, an eternity for Kara to lean down, an eternity until their lips finally met in a kiss that felt as surprising as it did inevitable. Surprising because Maggie wasn't prepared for it. Not for the softness of Kara's lips, or the strength of her arms, or the way her lips parted so quickly, or the slightly sweet, slightly tart taste of her mouth, or the moan that seemed to fill the room. Inevitable because kissing Kara felt like coming home. It felt like the entire world went away. There was no fear, no pain, no stress, no supervillains or backlog of cases. Nothing but Kara, holding her and kissing her like their lives depended on it.

Maggie prayed to a god she hadn't believed in since she was fourteen that it would never end, even as she felt the moment it would coming. They pulled away from each other at the same moment, and stared at each other, both of them wondering what the hell had just happened. She could see the shock on Kara's face, could feel it deep in her own bones, could hear her own mind screaming all the reasons this could never, ever happen. For a moment, she was afraid Kara would run, and for a moment, she was afraid she would run, but then they were kissing again, clinging to each other as if the universe might tear them apart at any moment.

"What are we doing?" Maggie asked between kisses.

"Do you want me to stop?" Kara asked.

"No," Maggie said.

Kara reached down and picked Maggie up. Maggie wrapped her legs around Kara as Kara walked them over to the kitchen table. She sat Maggie down and leaned in, her hands sliding up, roaming over Maggie's body as Maggie squeezed Kara closer with her legs and arms.

What was going to happen next was obvious to both of them. Maggie could have listened a dozen reasons it was a terrible idea off the top of her head, and none of them mattered. Not the fact that Kara was supposed to be hunting Lex, not the fact that she had walked out of work, not the fact that there was no way they could ever have a relationship, because it would destroy both of them. She didn't care. In that moment, she just needed. She needed Kara on top of her and inside of her. She needed to feel Kara touching her, to feel the real, tangible reminder that Kara was there and Kara was alive.

The only thing that stopped it was the opening guitar licks of Johnny Rivers' Secret Agent Man suddenly blaring out of Kara's phone. The two of them jumped apart, Maggie falling back onto the table when Kara scrambled for her phone.

"Hey, Alex," Kara squeaked. "No. Nothing's wrong." She sighed and took a deep breath, and Maggie could see her setting herself in that 'I'm Supergirl and nothing affects me' mode.

"Alex, nothing is wrong. Yes, I'd heard that Lex escaped. Why would he come after me? Other reporters have interviewed Supergirl. Cat Grant. She doesn't have a security detail since she stepped down as press secretary. Well, I mean… Look, Alex, I'm fine. Lex Luthor is not going to come after me. Fine. Look, there's a place near work that sells Tasers. I'll stop by and pick one up. Yes, I know how to use one. Alex, you said you were going to trust me to look after myself, so trust me. Okay. I love you. Go find Lena. And be careful."

Kara hung up the phone and turned to look at her.

"Maggie, I-"

"It's okay, Kara. I know. I shouldn't have… I just…"

Kara walked over and took her hands. "That wasn't just you," Kara said. "I felt it too. I have for a while, and I really want to stay here and talk to you about it, but Lex is out there and no one is safe right now. Not until he's caught."

Maggie nodded. "Go."

"Be careful," Kara said. "Because Alex is right. Lex will go after anyone with a connection to Supergirl. So please, please, be careful."

"I will."

Maggie expected Kara to go, but instead, she reached up and took Maggie's face in her hands and leaned in to kiss her one more time before she turned and flew out through the window, leaving Maggie to stare after her, and wonder what the hell they were going to do.

* * *

March 16, 2019

Maggie walked into the donut shop and looked around for Kara. She frowned when spotted her sitting in the back corner with a dark-haired girl and wondered for a moment if Kara was afraid to be alone with her after what had happened the day before. Maggie wasn't sure she would blame her if she was. Despite what Kara might have said, Maggie knew she was out of line kissing Kara. What made things worse is that she couldn't stop thinking about the way Kara had kissed her before she left, and she had kind of hoped that there would be more kissing this morning.

"Maggie!" Kara called out, waving her over.

Maggie forced a smile onto her face and headed over. She slid into the booth across from Kara and smiled as Kara pushed a cup of coffee towards her.

"Coffee, black," Kara said. "You're lucky. If I hadn't been Cat's assistant for two years, I never would have remembered such a ridiculously complex order."

Maggie laughed, and Kara smiled so brightly the wrong room lit up.

"You remember Nia?" Kara asked.

Maggie turned and got her first good look at the dark-haired girl's face, and sure enough, it was the girl from the hospital. "Nice to see you again."

"Likewise," Nia said.

"I know you probably weren't expecting her to be here, but we're on our way to my cousin's place up north."

"Oh," Maggie said, trying to tamp down her surprise. She looked over at Nia for a moment, and everything clicked into place. Long dark hair. Just a bit shorter than Kara. Nia was Dreamer.

"Blue's a good color on you."

"Thanks," Nia said.

"I thought you two should know each other in case anything happens to me."

"Kara-"

"Maggie," Kara said, cutting her off, "I'm going to be careful, but after what happened yesterday… I don't want you to be alone if something does happen. Alex has J'onn, and Eliza, and Lena, and Brainy, and James. Nia's family. Her mother was from a neighborhood not too far from where I spent my first twelve years."

Maggie stared at Kara and tried to swallow past the lump in her throat, but Kara wasn't done. She reached into the pocket of her coat, pulled out a watch, and slid it across the table.

"I know you already have a watch, but I thought you might like this one a little better."

Maggie reached out and took it. She gave a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching before she flipped up the face to reveal the beacon inside.

"Press once, and I'll come. Anywhere, any time. Twice, and I'll know to stay away."

"Got it," Maggie said, silently promising herself she'd never use it in a situation that might put Kara in danger.

"Nia, would you grab a dozen assorted, and whatever you want while you're at my cousin's place?" Kara asked.

"Of course," Nia said. She slid out of the booth and headed up to the counter.

Kara reached across the table and took Maggie's hand. "I know we need to talk about what happened-"

"Kara, it's okay. I don't expect anything. Emotions were high and-"

"Stop," Kara said.

"Kara-"

"No," Kara said. "Maggie, I know we can't, but I don't want to just brush it off. You deserve more than that. We'll talk as soon as I have time."

"Okay," Maggie said, not sure what there was to talk about. The fact that they both apparently had feelings for each other didn't mean they could be together. Maggie's relationship with Alex was proof of that.

"Come on," Kara said. "You and Nia can trade contact info before we head north."

* * *

Kara put Nia down just outside the fortress door and bent over to pick up the key. She slipped it into the slot and watched as the door slid aside before she put the key down again and followed Nia inside.

"She's nice," Nia said.

"What?" Kara asked.

"Your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Kara said.

"She isn't?" Nia asked. "Because it sure sounded like she was your girlfriend."

"It's complicated."

"What's complicated about it. You like her. She likes you."

"She used to be engaged to Alex."

"Oh," Nia said.

They moved through the Fortress for a few minutes in silence. They were almost to the bed chamber Kara had set up for Nia to practice her dreaming when Nia spoke again.

"Have you talked to Alex about it?" Nia asked.

"No," Kara said. "And I'm not going to."

"You should," Nia said. "If what happened with Maeve taught me anything, it's that keeping a secret like that just means you end up hurting the person you're trying to protect more."

"It's different."

"How?" Nia asked.

"When I arrived on Earth, and the Danvers took me in, I ruined Alex's life. She lost so much because of me. Her father, her friends. If it wasn't for me, it might not have taken her twenty-eight years to figure out she's a lesbian. Her entire life before Maggie was about me. Taking care of me, protecting me, hiding my secret, making sure I was okay. Then Maggie came along, and everything changed. Alex started opening up. She fell in love for the first time. She realized she wanted a wife and kids. She wanted to rebuild the family I took away from her. I can't take that away from her."

"But she and Maggie aren't together anymore," Nia said.

"I know," Kara said. "But they didn't split up because they didn't love each other anymore. Alex called things off because Maggie doesn't want kids. How would you feel if Maeve started dating someone you were still in love with?"

"I'd hate it," Nia said. "But if I called things off, and if they looked at each other the way I saw you looking and Maggie looking at each other, I think I'd get past it, because I would want the people I love to be happy."

"But it would hurt you, every day. I can't do that to Alex."

"What about what you're doing to yourself?" Nia asked.

"Sometimes loving someone means making sacrifices," Kara said. "Alex has made so many for me. I can make this one for her."

"Maybe you should ask her if she wants you to first."

"I can't. Not without hurting her." Kara stopped as they reached the bedchamber. "Kelex will get you anything you need. If you dream anything that will help us find Lex, let me know."

"Okay," Nia said.

"And Nia…"

"Yes?"

"Not a word of what you saw this morning to anyone."

"Of course," Nia said.

Kara took one of the boxes of donuts Nia was carrying and headed to the DEO.

* * *

"Hey, Sawyer," Hodges yelled across the bullpen. "You got a visitor."

Maggie looked up from her computer, and felt her heart skip a beat as she saw Kara standing there in civvies. She waved her over, and Kara smiled as she crossed the bullpen. Maggie stood up and led her into observation three.

Kara pulled her into a hug the moment the door was shut.

"Are you okay?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah," Kara said. "I'm just getting really tired of getting attacked with Kryptonite everywhere I go."

"Who attacked you with Kryptonite?" Maggie asked.

"It's a long story," Kara said as she pulled back from the hug. "I went to the DEO to see if they would be willing to work with me to track Lex. Haley agreed, and I found out Eve Teshmacher was working with Lex. Alex, Lena and I tracked her to a lab she'd been working at in secret, and there was a Metallo unit hidden there. There's more to it, but I'll fill you in when I get back from DC."

"You're going to DC?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah," Kara said. "I have to stop by CatCo, and let James know that it wasn't Manchester Black who shot him. Lex had someone do it. And we think Lex is connected to Ben Lockwood, so I'm headed to DC to question him."

"Jesus Christ. Lex had James shot?"

"Definitely."

"I don't like this. Lex is involved with Lockwood and with James being shot, and he somehow gets superpowers?"

"Yeah, I know how that last part happened," Kara said.

"You do?"

"The drug Lena used on James was based on a substance called Harun-El. It's something from Krypton. Argo is using it as a power source, and they were running low, so I asked Lena if she could replicate it. I figured since she already figured out how to duplicate Kryptonite, it would be easy. But she didn't just make it for Argo. She's been making more of it for months and using it to create this drug. And since Ever was Lena's assistant, Lex knew all about it."

"Lena has been experimenting with some sort of Kryptonian stuff that gives people superpowers?"

"Yeah," Kara said. "Like I said, it's a long story, and I don't have a lot of time. I just wanted to make sure you're okay before I head to DC."

"I'm good," Maggie said. "But if Lockwood is involved with Lex Luthor, you need to be careful."

"I know," Kara said. "I've got to go."

"Okay," Maggie said.

Kara turned to leave. On impulse, Maggie reached out and caught her wrist, and when Kara turned back around, Maggie stepped in and kissed her.

"Be careful," Maggie said. "And come see me when you get back. I don't care how late it is."

Kara nodded, and then she was gone.

* * *

"Delta-399 to Sierra-117 do you copy, over?"

Maggie reached down and grabbed the mic from her radio. "This is Sierra-117. I copy, over."

"Sierra-117, you are to report to the barn immediately, over."

Maggie frowned. "Delta-399, my shift ended thirty minutes ago, over."

"Understood Sierra-117. Orders were firm. You're to report to your Lieutenant immediately upon arrival, over."

"Understood. Seirra-117 is on her way to the barn, over."

Maggie hung up the radio, and turned on the lights in her cruiser, then did a U-turn and headed back to headquarters. She spent the whole way there wondering what could possibly be going on that would have Lieutenant Isaacs call her back.

* * *

By the time Maggie got to headquarters, the place was a madhouse. People were running around in riot gear and she wondered, briefly, if there was another invasion in the works. She moved quickly through the chaos, dodging people as she headed for Lieutenant Isaacs' office. She was about halfway there when she noticed it. Everyone in the room was avoiding looking at her. Everyone except Debbie, who was trying to catch her eye. When Maggie looked at her, Debbie mouthed 'be careful', and Maggie felt a knot of unease settle in her stomach.

When she stepped through the door of Lieutenant Isaacs' office, there were two men there in suits, and Maggie glanced at Lieutenant Isaacs.

"Sir, dispatch said you wanted to see me?"

Isaacs nodded. "Have a seat, Sawyer."

Maggie sat down at glanced over at the men in suits.

"Have you met detective Russel and detective Williams before Sawyer?" Isaacs asked.

"No, sir."

"They're from internal affairs."

"Okay. And why are they here?"

"It's about Supergirl," Isaacs said.

"What about her?"

"She just killed eight Senators and four secret service agents in the oval office," Isaacs said.

"WHAT?" Maggie asked. "Sir, that can't be right. Supergirl would never do something like that."

"You're awful quick to defend her," Russel said.

"Yeah, because she's innocent."

"How can you be so sure?" Williams asked.

"Because I've known the woman for almost three years. Because she's saved my life on more than one occasion. Because she kept me from losing my arm a couple of months ago. Because she's one of the kindest people I've ever met."

"What's your relationship with Supergirl?" Russel asked.

"We used to work together when I was working with Agent Danvers at the FBI."

"That's the same Agent Danvers you used to be engaged to?" Williams asked.

"Yes," Maggie said.

"You haven't worked with Agent Danvers in a year and a half." Russel said.

"So?"

"So, did your relationship with Supergirl continue after you stopped working with the FBI?" Williams asked

"We didn't talk for a while after Alex and I broke up. I left town. Did some transfer assignments. I didn't see her other than on the news from the time Alex and I split until Supergirl showed up to help at a warehouse raid just after Thanksgiving."

"And have you seen her since then?" Russel asked.

"A couple of times," Maggie said.

"And what's the natural of your current relationship with her?" Williams asked.

"Mostly, I buy her coffee and donuts, and she bitches about how hard it is to find makeup that holds up at supersonic speeds."

"So, you're not sleeping with her?" Russel asked.

"Where the fuck would you get that idea?" Maggie asked.

"Word is, you were bragging to another detective about fucking her yesterday morning," Williams said.

"Oh, Jesus fucking Christ," Maggie said. "Debbie… Detective Teigal was giving me shit about how I must have a new girlfriend because I was in a good mood. I told her I had breakfast with a friend, and she wouldn't drop it, so I fed her some bullshit story about being in a good mood because I banged Supergirl. She knew it was bullshit at the time, and I thought everyone else in the bullpen did too."

"Detective Hodges said that you had a breakdown yesterday when it looked like Supergirl had been killed by Lex Luthor." Russel said.

"Because someone I have worked with on and off for the past three years, someone I consider a friend, was murdered on National TV."

"So, she's your friend?" Williams asked.

"Yes," Maggie said.

"What's her name?" Russel asked.

"Supergirl," Maggie said.

"Her real name?" Williams asked.

"I don't know," Maggie said.

"Really?" Russel said. "Detective Sawyer, you realize if you're withholding information that could lead to the arrest of a terrorist, you could be charged with obstruction? Maybe even as an accessory if she kills someone else."

"I don't know her real name."

"What do you know about her?" Williams asked.

"Not a lot. She likes Hawaiian Pizza, Smores, really sweet coffee, donuts, Hello Kitty, math," said, repeating what she'd told Debbie the day before. "She's a decent field medic. Got her training from the FBI on that one."

"You're lying," Russel said.

"Excuse me?"

"You know more than you're telling us," Russel said.

Maggie turned back to Isaacs. "I want my union rep and a lawyer, now."

* * *

When the text chime on her phone sounded, Kara sat on the couch in her apartment, trying to decide what to do. She saw Maggie's name, and felt a small spike of fear run through her at the thought that Maggie might be in trouble. She opened the message and frowned in confusion.

Maggie: Hey. Was wondering if we were still on for tonight?

Maggie: If we are, you might want to bring an overnight bag. I'm apparently going to have some time off.

Maggie: Also, if you see a couple of guys sitting in a car across the street, they're harmless, as long as you feed them donuts.

Kara started at her phone for a minute, trying to decide what she wanted to do. The message in Maggie's texts were obvious. The police were watching her because of her connection to Supergirl. Maggie still wanted her to come over, but dressed as Kara, and Maggie was inviting her to spend the night. That last part was a bit ambiguous, because things were different now, but Kara suspected it was an offer of comfort, and company, just like it had been two nights ago.

Kara should say no. She knew she should, and she kept telling herself that the whole time she was packing her overnight bag.

* * *

Maggie looked through the peephole and let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Kara standing in the hallway. She opened the door, and stepped back, letting her in.

"You going to shoot me?" Kara asked, with a small nod at the gun in Maggie's hand.

"No, but I might shoot those idiots in the car out there," Maggie said as slipped her pistol back into her paddle holster. Once the gun was holstered, Kara pulled her into a tight hug, and Maggie hugged back as hard as she could, relaxing for the first time since Kara had walked out of Observation room three earlier that day. She really wanted to kiss Kara, but she wasn't sure if that would be welcome or not, so she pulled away from the hug.

"Give me your phone."

Kara pulled it out and handed it over. Maggie went over to the kitchen and put her phone and Kara's inside a stainless-steel saucepan, then put the matching stainless-steel lid on it.

"We're safe to talk," Maggie said.

"You're sure?" Kara asked.

"Yeah. I swept for bugs as soon as I got home, and the windows have a scatter coating on them to stop laser mics."

She didn't bring up that most of the gear she used to keep her apartment clean was stuff Alex had taught her about. Alex had been absolutely paranoid about any sort of surveillance after Maxwell Lord had figured out Kara's identity by bugging her.

"You said in your text you were going to have some time off."

"Paid administrative leave," Maggie said.

"Why?" Kara asked.

"Internal affairs got a tip that I might know your secret identity. I told them they were idiots, but they tried to push the matter. They wanted to arrest me for obstruction, but my lawyer and my union rep both reamed the detectives a new asshole, which was fun to watch. In the end, IA stuck me on paid leave 'until they could be sure I'm not involved with a known terrorist'."

"Maggie, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Maggie said. "If I hadn't freaked out the day before yesterday, this wouldn't have happened."

"You can't blame yourself for that," Kara said.

"I think we both know I can," Maggie said. "It's done, it can't be fixed until we clear your name. So, let's start with 'Are you okay?'"

Kara walked over and dropped down onto the couch, then pulled a pillow into her lap and hugged it tightly. It was something Maggie had seen her do a few times before. It was Kara's go to way to comfort herself when she was feeling overwhelmed. Maggie sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her. Kara leaned over and rested her head on Maggie's shoulder.

"It was terrible," Kara said. "The whole thing was a trap. Eve lured me to DC, and she made sure everyone saw me there, then she lured me into a blind spot and trapped me just long enough for the fake Supergirl to attack the White House and kill those people. Once it was over, all I could do was grab James, and come home. I tried to get ahold of J'onn, but he's not answering his phone, I don't want to get Brainy and Nia mixed up in this, because they can't defend themselves the way I can, and I'm afraid to reach out to Alex…"

"Because Alex might think you did it," Maggie said.

"Yeah," Kara said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dump all of this on you."

"Hey," Maggie said. "We're family, Kara. You and me. We're family."

Kara lifted her head off Maggie's shoulder, and turned to look at her. Maggie saw the need in her eyes. She knew she shouldn't. She knew things were complicated and confusing, and that if they kept doing it, it was just going to make it hurt that much more when they finally admitted that it could never happen. But she still leaned in and kissed Kara, and it still felt right, and perfect, and like coming home.

The kiss stretched out, and Maggie shifted, reaching up to pull Kara closer. Kara turned and climbed into her lap, straddling her and threading fingers into her hair. Maggie started to wonder if never was going to come a lot sooner than she'd thought when she felt Kara go stiff, for a moment. She opened her eyes as Kara pulled away.

"What is it?" Maggie asked.

"It's the signal watch I gave Alex," Kara said. "She's calling me."

"Kara, you can't," Maggie said. "She doesn't know that you and Supergirl are the same person."

"I have too, Maggie," Kara said. "She's still my sister. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't go."

"Then take me with you," Maggie said.

"I can't. If I take you, and she really is going to arrest me, they'll arrest you too."

"I don't care," Maggie said.

"I do," Kara said. "I need to protect you."

"Kara, don't protect me from this," Maggie said. "Don't do to me what Alex did to you."

Kara stared at her for a moment, and Maggie could see the wheels turning, and she could see the moment Kara decided. "Okay," she said. "El Mayarah."

Maggie nodded. "Stronger together."

"So, how do we ditch the cops out front?"

* * *

Getting past the cops staking out Maggie's apartment turned out to be relatively easy. Maggie's building had basement access to the old utility tunnels that ran under most of National City. Once they were a few blocks away from Maggie's building, they left the tunnels, and Kara pulled Maggie against her, and shot into the air fast enough that no one would have seen them, even if they'd been looking.

Kara stopped once she was high enough that anyone on the ground would have trouble spotting them, but low enough that Maggie wouldn't have any trouble breathing. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to focus on the sound of the signal coming from the watch, but the press of Maggie's body against hers made it hard to focus.

"Where's the signal coming from?" Maggie asked.

Kara squeezed her eyes shot and recited a Torquasm Vo calming mantra to herself. The simple prayer helping her focus, until she could pinpoint the signal.

"It's coming from Lena's apartment," Kara said.

"I don't like it," Maggie said.

"It's better than the DEO," Kara said.

"Is it?" Maggie asked. "You said yourself, Lena can make Kryptonite, and she doesn't like you very much. She might have her whole house fortified with anti-Kryptonian defenses."

Kara hated hearing it, because it made Lena sound a bit too much like Lex, but she had to admit, Maggie had a point. Up until that afternoon, Lena's relationship with Supergirl tense, at best. If Lena had fortified her apartment against Supergirl, and she believed Supergirl was responsible for the attack, then, it was entirely possible that she would lend it to the DEO as a trap for Supergirl. Not that it really mattered.

"You may be right, but I still have to go," Kara said.

"I know," Maggie said. "And I'm still going with you."

"Thank you." Kara pressed a kiss to Maggie's temple, then shot towards Lena's apartment. She did a scan on approach, making sure there were no lead lined rooms or X-Ray scatter fields. She was careful to slow down before coming in for a landing so Maggie didn't get hurt, and kept her body between Maggie and the balcony door. She looked into the apartment. Lena and Alex staring out at her, and Kara whispered a quiet prayer to Rao that this wouldn't be a disaster.

"I'm here," Maggie whispered.

Kara nodded and let go of Maggie, then headed into the apartment. Once she was inside, she turned towards Alex and Lena, and felt sick. They stood there, looking at her with worry and fear written on their faces. These were people who were supposed to love her, to be her family. People who accepted and loved Kara Danvers, who had never been anything more than a mask, but who looked at Supergirl with anger, suspicion and distrust. People who considered her an enemy, or at the very least, a potential one.

"Did you call me here to arrest me?" she asked. She'd meant to say it in a firm tone. She'd meant it to be a challenge. Instead, it came out in a tremor, sounding hurt and lost and broken, because she couldn't keep fear out of her voice at the thought that Alex might be the one to finally lock her away in a cage.

"We know you didn't do this," Lena said.

"That you would never do something like this," Alex said.

"We're on your side, Supergirl. We're going to find out the truth, Together," Lena said.

Kara felt the tears of relief welling up in her eyes, because Alex believed in her. Her sister still believed in her. She felt a hand rest on her shoulder, and looked over at Maggie, who gave her an encouraging smile. Kara reached up and covered Maggie's hand with her own.

"You okay?" Maggie asked. Kara nodded, and they both turned back to Alex and Lena.

"Where do we start?" Maggie asked.

* * *

"Hey, Maggie," Alex said.

Maggie glanced up from the remnants of her Pad Thai and sighed as she saw the look on Alex's face. She'd been expecting this moment since they'd sat down to talk almost two hours earlier. She was mostly just surprised it had taken this long.

"What is it, Danvers?" she asked.

"You think we could talk for a minute?" Alex asked.

Maggie turned to Kara. "Will you be okay?"

"Yeah," Kara said.

Maggie turned to Lena. "Is there a room we can use?" she asked.

"My office," Lena said. "Down the hall, first door on the left."

"Thanks," Maggie said as she stood up. She headed down the hall found the office, which turned out to be a perfect copy of Lena's office at LCorp. She took a seat, and watched as Alex closed the door, then sat down on the other end of the sofa.

"I… um… I was surprised to see you tonight," Alex said.

"I was with her when she heard the signal. I came along in case you were planning on trying to arrest her. I figured I might still have enough pull to talk some sense into you if you were planning to do something stupid."

"You really thought I would arrest her?" Alex asked.

"I thought you might try," Maggie said. "You threatened to do it in Parthas over a lot less than twelve dead people."

Alex winced and looked away. "I thought about what you said at the hospital, and you're right. I shouldn't have done that. I should have trusted her."

"Is that why you didn't arrest her tonight?"

"No," Alex said. "I know she wouldn't do this. We might not agree on some things, but she protects people. She helps them. That's always been who she is."

"There's the Alex I know," Maggie said. "I was starting to wonder if you were still in there."

Alex smiled and blushed just a bit, and Maggie felt a little of the old flutter, but it was different than it had been. Warmth and affection, but not the rush of passion and desire it once would have been. It was a good feeling. Better than what she'd felt the last couple of time they'd seen each other. Maybe, just maybe, when this was over and Alex had her memories back, Maggie could manage to keep Kara in her life, and to reconnect to the friends and family that had been torn away when she had lost Alex.

Alex took a deep breath and Maggie frowned, because that was Alex's 'working up the nerve' face, and she knew they'd come to the heart of the reason Alex had wanted to talk to her alone.

"So," Alex said, "you and Supergirl, huh?"

"Alex, don't," Maggie said, a note of warning in her tone.

"No!" Alex said, holding out a hand in a placating gesture. "I don't mean anything bad by it. I'm… surprised. I remember the night I got kidnapped, you and Kara had some big fight because you didn't like the way Supergirl had gotten involved in one of your cases, and Kara was defending her. Honestly, that part's a little vague. Thank the drugs that asshole gave me I suppose. But…"

"You're rambling," Maggie said.

"I know. I just… I'm happy you found someone," Alex said.

"I didn't," Maggie said. "Supergirl and I aren't together, and we're not going to be together."

"Oh," Alex said. "I'm sorry. I just… I… I hoped, I guess."

"You hoped I was with Supergirl?" Maggie asked, because that didn't make any sense.

"Yeah," Alex said. She looked down at the floor. "I know I hurt you. I mean, I hurt myself, and I remember how bad it was. Every day, I would wake up, and it was like someone had cut me open and ripped out my insides. It still feels like that sometimes. And I did it to myself, you know? I can't even begin to imagine how much worse it was for you. I didn't realize how much I was taking from you. I don't think I expected you to just vanish out of our lives. But you did, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I took away your family too.

"When I saw the two of you together tonight, the way you touched her to reassure her, the way she touched you when she needed comfort… And the way you looked at her. I know that look. You used to look at me that way. So, I thought, and I guess I hoped that you found someone. I hoped that you didn't have to hurt anymore. That what I did wouldn't hurt you anymore."

"God, Danvers, there's a lot to unpack there, and I don't really have the time, but I will say this. My happiness and my pain aren't on you."

"But I hurt you…"

"Yeah, you did. You hurt me really bad. And me finding another girlfriend doesn't change that. Doesn't make it go away. What happened, happened. But I made choices that led us there too. You hurt me, but I hurt you too. I didn't listen, I didn't compromise, I didn't take your needs into account. You bent over backwards to make me happy, and I just expected you to. And then I found the one thing you wouldn't bend on.

"I was mad for a long time, but I'm not anymore. Alex, I still love you, I will always love you, but sometimes, the person you love isn't the right person for you, and seeing you at that party made me realize that you were never the right person for me. I just wanted you to be so much that I ignored what I already knew. Because I was scared and because I didn't want to be alone and because you were so amazing and because I loved you so much.

Maggie turned and looked away from Alex. "You know what the funny part is? Sometimes you do find the right person, and it's like some cosmic joke, because it can just never happen."

"Why? I don't understand," Alex said.

"Yeah. I know," Maggie said.

"She feels the same way," Alex said.

Maggie stood up and started towards the door. "I'm not talking about this."

"Maggie, if the two of you love each other…,"

"Don't say it," Maggie said.

"Why not?" Alex asked. "If you love Supergirl, and she loves you, the two of you should be together."

Maggie looked back at Alex and shook her head before leaving.

* * *

"So," Lena said.

Kara looked over at Lena. "Yes?"

"You and Detective Sawyer seem to be close these days."

"She's been a good friend the last few months," Kara said. "You might have noticed I've had a bit of a rough time since President Marsdin got outed. I mean, let's see. I've been poisoned. It sucked. Confined to a life support suit, which, thank you again for saving my life with that. Got betrayed by someone I trusted, but what's one more time, right? Got fired by the DEO, which actually sucked more than getting poisoned. Fought a god on a parallel Earth, which is way less fun than it sounds. Also, that whole body swap thing is *way* more annoying when it's happening to your friends and not Linsey Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Had a government official try to Blackmail me, which, also not fun. I was at a funeral that got firebombed and Alex threatened to arrest me, so that was a day. Got to watch a fourteen-year-old kid behead an alien right in front of me, which, you know, best Valentine's day ever. Found out the President was going to launch a satellite that would destroy any ship coming to Earth. Watched an anti-alien terrorist be named Director of Alien Affairs. Had to stop a riot at what was supposed to be a peaceful protest for alien rights. One of my best friends was shot in the back by Lex, who has escaped from prison and somehow managed to frame me for a dozen murders and an act of terrorism."

"That's a lot," Lena said.

"Yeah," Kara said. "Maggie was there for me through a lot of it. It's nice, having someone just accepts me as me. Someone who doesn't want me to be human."

"I would think there are a lot of people who are glad you're not human," Lena said.

"There are a lot of people who are glad I have powers," Kara said. "Most people… They don't understand that I'm not like you. However much I have to pretend, however much I have to twist myself to fit in to your world, I'm not human. I never will be. I don't want to be. And when I'm with her, I don't have to be."

"How long have the two of you been dating?"

"We're not," Kara said.

"Really?" Lena said, and Kara could hear the disbelief in her voice.

"Really," Kara said.

"So, you're going to tell me that isn't her lipstick on your neck?" Lena asked.

"Nice try, but Maggie doesn't wear lipstick unless she's under cover. Just cherry flavored chapstick."

"So you admit know what her chapstick tastes like?"

"I've seen her use it. She has a bad habit of gnawing on her lips when she's thinking about a case. I noticed it when Alex and Maggie first started dating and mentioned it to Alex. Alex gave her a tube of chapstick one day. She's been using it ever since."

"Still, it's clear-"

"We're not there yet, Ms. Luthor," Kara said, her tone cold. The use of Lena's family name had the desired effect. Kara saw the walls go up on Lena's face. The flash of anger, then the cold, haughty expression. Kara had known Lena long enough to know the right button to push to get her to back off, and she also knew damage control was necessary.

"I hope our relationship is on better terms than it was this morning. I would like to call you my friend, because I believe you're a good person. I believe you're nothing like your family. But all you need to know about my relationship with Maggie is that right now I trust her completely and without reservation. The rest is personal, and I don't want to talk about it."

"You mean you don't want to talk about it with me," Lena said.

"With anyone," Kara said, and given the look on Lena's face, it must have come out more harshly than she intended.

"I see," Lena said.

"Lena, it's not about you. Think about how you would feel if I started asking why you broke up with James."

"You know about that?" Lena asked.

"James is my friend," Kara said. She turned as she head the office door open, and saw Maggie walk back into the living room with Alex right behind her. She frowned slightly at the look on Maggie's face. It almost looked like she was glaring at Lena for some reason.

"Are we done?" Maggie asked.

"Yes," Kara said, standing up. "Thanks for dinner, Lena. Director Danvers-"

"Alex. Please, call me Alex."

Kara smiled, feeling a little lighter. "Good night, Alex."

"Good night," Alex said.

Kara followed Maggie out onto the balcony, and wrapped her arm around her, holding her close as she lifted off.


	13. Crime and Punishment

Note: This Chapter contains canon dialog from the episode "Crime and Punishment"

* * *

March 16, 2019

Getting back into Maggie's apartment was a lot easier than leaving. There was no trip through the utility tunnels. They just landed near where they took off. Kara retrieved her cloths and did a super speed wardrobe change, and they walked back to Maggie's building. They even stopped at the donut shop and picked up a dozen for the two poor guys stuck on stakeout duty. Five minutes, and two very confused cops later, they headed up stairs.

There was no pretense once they were inside. Kara didn't offer to go home. Maggie didn't offer to sleep on the couch. Kara just ducked into the bathroom and changed into a pair of white flannel pajamas with pink House of El coat of arms printed on them. When she came out of the bathroom, she found Maggie in a pair of grey pajama pants and a tank top.

Maggie smiled at Kara's pajamas, and Kara smiled back when Maggie took her hand and led her to the bed. They climbed in together, and Kara felt herself tear up at how right and how perfect it felt to settle in against Maggie's side, to lay her head on Maggie's shoulder, to wrap her arm around Maggie's waist, and to feel Maggie's arm around her shoulders.

"Maggie," Kara said, looking up at Maggie.

"Yes?"

"My name is / ,kahrah,zor,el,/."

Maggie looked down at her for a moment, and Kara could see the understanding in her eyes. "Say it again."

"/ ,kahrah,zor,el,/."

"/ ,karah,zorel,/," Maggie said.

"Almost," Kara said. "You're saying it too fast. There's a slight pause between the syllables. Like, Kuh… ara…, and then a longer pause between 'zor' and 'el'. / ,kahrah,zor,el,/."

"/ ,kahrah,zor,el,/," Maggie said, and Kara couldn't stop herself from giggling.

"What?" Maggie asked. "Did I butcher it that badly."

"No," Kara said. "It was perfect."

"Then why are you laughing?"

"You have a Kandoran accent," Kara said.

"Is that bad?" Maggie asked. "Do I sound like a hick?"

"No," Kara said. "You sound wonderful. The House of El has spoken with a Kandoran accent since before the Unification. We were kind of known for it. I grew up in Argo, but I have perfect Kandoran inflection."

"Then what is so funny?"

"Kal-El has a thick Kryptonopolis accent."

"And that's bad?"

"It's terrible," Kara said. "I want to cry every time I hear him speak Kryptonain. It's like, imagine you're a member of the British royal family, but the crown prince has a thick Brooklyn accent."

"Truth, justice and the American way," Maggie said, in a think fake Brooklyn accent, and Kara started laughing. "Yooss guys wanna stop robbin that bank?"

"Oh, great Rao," Kara said as she laughed, and Maggie broke down laughing too. The shared moment of hilarity washed away the stress of the day, even if for just a moment. The laughter eventually faded into a comfortable silence, and the two of them lay there, holding each other in comfortable silence.

"/ ,kahrah,/?" Maggie asked.

"Yes?"

"Did you hear what Alex said?"

"No. I didn't listen. I didn't want to intrude."

Maggie pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Kara said. The two of them lapsed into silence again, but the implied question hung between them until Kara finally asked, "What did she say?"

"She said we should be together."

Kara closed her eyes. She felt a tightness in her chest as she wished the words were true. "She doesn't know."

"I know," Maggie said.

"We can't."

"I know."

"I want to."

"So do I."

"What are we going to do?" Kara asked.

"Lie," Maggie said. "When she gets her memories back, we let her think I had a crush on her straight sister."

"I don't want to lie anymore."

"I know, but I won't come between you and Alex. You can't lose her."

"I can't lose you, either," Kara said.

"You won't," Maggie said. "I can't lose you, either, / ,kahrah,/."

"I-"

"Don't say it," Maggie said, cutting her off. "If you really mean it, please, don't ever say it."

Kara swallowed the words she wanted to say, and silence filled the room. This time, it wasn't comfortable. It was filled with the weight of things unsaid hanging there like a thick smoke, choking the life out of them both, until Kara couldn't stand it anymore.

"Tell me something," she said.

"What do you want to know?"

"Something about you. Something no one else knows."

"You know how some kids have teddy bears?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah."

"I had a stuffed pink hippopotamus named Mullida. I slept with her until I was fourteen years old. I had her my whole life. Dad bought her the day they found out they were having a girl. When I was little, I used to have nightmares about monsters coming into my room. One night, Papá took Mullida, and he held her up, and he told me that Hippos are strongest, fiercest animals in all of Africa. So strong people used to worship them. He said I would always be safe, as long as I had Mullida with me because she would protect me."

"What happened to her?"

"Papá didn't pack her when he kicked me out," Maggie said.

"I'm sorry," Kara said.

"It was a long time ago."

"That doesn't mean it ever stops hurting."

"No it doesn't," Maggie said.

Kara shifted a bit, pressing herself more firmly against Maggie's side and fisting her hand in the fabric of Maggie's tank top.

"Goodnight, Maggie."

"Goodnight, / ,kahrah,/."

* * *

March 17, 2019

"My fellow Americans, it has been a day since Supergirl's attack on the White House. In apparent retaliation for our repeal of the Alien Amnesty Act. While she and those with whom she conspired remain at large, I have an obligation to ensure the safety of all citizens. So, at 1900 hours today, I am imposing a sundown to sunup curfew. Humans caught loitering will be cited. Aliens will be stopped by any means necessary. And to Supergirl, turn yourself in. We do not want a war with you, but we vow to use every asset in our power to see that justice is done."

"Justice," Lena said. "What a crock."

The words sounded odd coming from Lena, but Maggie could hardly fault the sentiment. There was already at least one well documented case of a Supergirl imposter, and at least three cases of Superman imposters on record, and those were just the ones Maggie could recall from memory. Supergirl had saved the world three times that Maggie knew of. She deserved the benefit of the doubt, but Baker was ready to throw her under the bus. Maggie wasn't sure if it was the man's demonstrated anti-alien bigotry, or fear, or political opportunism, but whatever it was, she would dearly love to punch him in the face.

"Someone's in trouble," Kara said. "I have to go."

Maggie looked over at her, and she wanted to ask her not to, but she swallowed the impulse. She knew it wouldn't do any good to ask, because Kara would never stay when someone was in danger, and because even asking felt selfish. Alex, on the other hand no such qualms.

"You heard the President. It isn't safe."

"If the government wants to stop me from helping people, let them try," Kara said.

"Be careful," Maggie said.

Kara nodded, and disappeared out of the balcony door of Lena's office. The moment she was gone, Alex turned to Maggie.

"Be careful?" Alex asked, anger in her voice. "That's the best you can do?"

"Yeah. It is," Maggie said.

"She's going to go out there and get herself killed."

"No, she's not," Maggie said. "She can handle herself. Something you should know since you trained her. Besides, there's nothing I could say that would stop her, and I won't insult her by trying."

"How is trying to keep her alive an insult?" Lena asked.

"Because being Supergirl isn't just some hobby for her. It's part of who she is. Neither of you have any idea of the sacrifices she's made since she put on that cape. Asking her to stop being Supergirl would disrespect everything she's lost and everything she's given up. I won't do that anymore than she would ask me to stop being a cop."

"If she gets herself killed, none of those sacrifices will matter," Lena said.

"They matter to her," Maggie said. "She watched her entire world burn and die because people stood by. She would rather die than do nothing."

Kara landed on the balcony, cutting off any further argument. Maggie felt relief flood through her that Kara had made it back safely, but she also felt worry at the pain in Kara's eyes. She held out her hand, and Kara took it as she came inside.

"What happened?" Maggie asked.

"A guy rolled his car. I was pulling him out when this idiot with a gun just started blasting away. One of the bullets hit the car's gas tank. I barely got the guy out of his car, and when I did, he said his daughter saw me attack the White House, and it crushed her."

"I'm sorry," Maggie said.

"I don't believe it," Kara said. "I mean, people actually believe I attacked the White House. They think I'm a terrorist. Years of helping people wiped away with one lie."

"No, not one lie," Alex said. "It's lots of lies, and Ben Lockwood has been telling whoppers for months."

"Alex is right," Maggie said. "It's lots of lies, but it didn't start with Lockwood. It started Lex, back when it was just your cousin. Then when you showed up, Maxwell Lord picked up the torch. After him, it was Cadmus and Morgan Edge. And it's not just lies. Sometimes the truth is just as ugly. Cat Grant's speech denouncing you when you got infected by the Red Kryptonite has been making the rounds."

"She was trying to protect people!" Kara said.

"I know," Maggie said. "She did the right thing, but that just makes it worse. People like Lockwood and Lex, they take a little bit of truth, they strip it of context and nuance, and they turn it something sick and twisted, and then they parade the lie around until everyone is terrified."

"And people are terrified," Alex said. "They are looking for answers, and right now, Baker and Lockwood are giving them easy ones, with convenient targets for their fear."

"But it's not true," Kara said. "Shouldn't the truth matter more?"

"Truth doesn't matter when Lex is involved," Lena said. "He's a master of perception. A consummate gaslighter. He can make you doubt things you know to be true."

"So, what do we do?" Maggie asked.

"Right now, I really believe that the four of us working together is our best chance of vindicating Supergirl and catching Lex."

"Okay, so how did he do it? I mean, it wasn't Bizzaro. I already checked," Alex said.

"Shape shifter? Hologram? Image Inducer?" Kara asked.

"No," Maggie said. "Heat vision burn patterns are had to fake. You'd need a high-powered laser. Could be another cyborg, like Henshaw. I've still got the scar from the hole he put in me, and that wasn't a sustained blast with two eyes."

"The thermal imaging would give it away," Lena said.

"She's right," Alex said. "Kryptonians run hotter than humans. Even a cyborg wouldn't be able to match the heat signature."

"It would help if we knew what his goal was," Maggie said.

"That's a good question, but we don't have an answer," Alex said.

"I have a lead," Lena said.

"Good," Maggie said. "Great. Next time, start with that."

"Well, there's a catch, and you're probably not going to like it," Lena said. "The lead comes from my mother. She said that Lex's escape from Stryker's Island prison wasn't his first. That he's been coming and going as he pleases for months."

"So, someone's been helping him," Kara said.

"The Warden," Lena said.

"Do we have proof?" Maggie asked.

"I have the number of the account in the Caymans where the bribes are going," Lena said. "Along with detailed bank records."

"Right," Maggie said. "So tomorrow, we go to Stryker's Island, blackmail the Warden into letting us search Lex's cell, and when we're done, we drop a dime to the FBI on him."

"That sounds like a plan," Lena said.

"I'll go to work," Alex said. "Keep an eye on things at the DEO. With any luck, I might be able to pick up the trail."

"Good idea," Lena said. "The Warden's in his office by nine most mornings. We'll meet back here at eight."

"Sound's good," Kara said.

* * *

Maggie sat on her bed, setting up the new cell phone with military grade encryption that Lena had given her. It cost more than Maggie made in a month, but she wasn't complaining. Even with a warrant and wiretap order, Internal Affairs wouldn't be able to track her or listen to her conversations on the phone. At least, not her conversations with Lena and Alex. Of course, the phone number wasn't in her name, and Internal Affairs didn't know about it, so that helped too.

"Maggie," Kara said. Maggie looked up from the phone to see Kara standing at the foot of the bed with a look she recognized a little too well. It was the look Kara had always worn right before she told Alex something she didn't think Alex was going to like. Maggie felt her stomach sink, seeing that look turned towards her, because she could think of far too many things that Kara might say that would break her heart.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want you to come with us tomorrow."

"What?" Maggie asked, not quite able to believe what she'd just heard.

"I don't want you to come to Stryker's Island."

Maggie stared at Kara for a moment, feeling a swell of anger building inside her. "What am I supposed to do then? Sit here on my ass and twiddle my thumbs."

"Yes," Kara said. "Or go see a movie, or read a book, or get a new bonsai tree, or go to the zoo. Do anything you want."

"I want a help you clear your name," Maggie said. "I want to help you find Lex and put that miserable, murdering son of a bitch back behind bars where he belongs."

"I know," Kara said. "But it's too dangerous."

"It's too dangerous?" Maggie asked, trying to push down the anger that had her ready to scream. "For me. Not for Lena, though." For some reason, it was that last part that stung. If Kara had said she wanted to go alone, it would have been one thing, but the idea of Kara to taking Lena and leaving her behind made her want to throw something.

"Yes!" Kara snapped. "You're already suspended because of me. When we go to that jail, there's a chance that people will see us. If someone sees me, it doesn't matter. I'm already public enemy number one. Lena's a pretty white human billionaire. If someone sees her, the absolute worst that will happen is she'll be sentenced to buy her lawyer a new BMW. But if someone sees you, you could lose your job. You could lose everything that matters to you, everything you've worked for. You could go to jail. You could die. For me."

The anger Maggie felt faded away as she heard the flutter of terror in Kara's voice. It wasn't gone completely, but it subsided enough that she could push it aside long enough to figure out what was going on. She reached over and patted the bed next to her. "Come sit with me," she said.

Kara walked over and climbed into bed. Maggie sat her phone on the bedside table and wrapped her arm around Kara. "Tell me what's going on," Maggie said.

"A man almost died tonight because of me. The guy with the gun… He started shooting at me while I was trying to help someone. And I was standing next to the person I was trying to help. A stray bullet hit the gas tank, and all I could think about Joe Watkins."

"Who?"

"He… He died. He was a source for the story on Spherical Industries. I was sitting in his car talking to him, when the car exploded. I… I watched the explosion tear him apart and there wasn't anything I could do to save him. And that could have happened to someone tonight because I was trying to help. And I keep thinking of all the horrible things that could happen if I take you with me tomorrow.

"I need you to be safe. I don't want to leave you behind, but I'm afraid. I'm so afraid."

"Okay," Maggie said.

"Okay?" Kara asked.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "If you need me to be safe so you can do what you need to do, then I'll be safe. And when you get done you come see me, so I know you're safe. Okay?" It wasn't what she wanted to say. She wanted to demand to go with Kara, to stay by her side, but she knew Kara was walking into a dangerous situation, and if having her there was going to distract Kara, she'd swallow her pride and accept it.

"Okay."

"Do you need to go home tonight?" Maggie asked.

"I probably should, but…"

"Stay," Maggie said. "Please, stay."

"Okay."

* * *

March 18, 2019

At the sound of the text alert, Maggie picked up her secure phone and unlocked it. A text from Alex was waiting for her. Short and to the point.

Alex: I need to see you.

There was a time when those words would have started her heart racing. Now they filled her with dread. If Alex wanted to see her in the middle of the day, something was wrong.

Maggie: When and where?

Alex: Ice cream cart. Fifteen minutes.

Maggie: On my way.

She grabbed her old phone and her motorcycle helmet and headed for the door.

* * *

It took Maggie about ten minutes to get to the park near the DEO building where she and Alex used to meet for their lunch breaks. Once there, she parked, swiped her card to feed the meter, and headed for the ice cream cart she and Alex used to go to a couple of times a week. Alex was waiting for her when she got there, and Maggie walked right up to her and pulled her into a hug. Alex hesitated for a moment before she returned it.

"We're being watched," Maggie said.

"By who?" Alex asked.

"Internal affairs," Maggie said as she let go of Alex. "They think I might lead them to Supergirl."

"Why?" Alex asked.

Maggie started walking, and Alex fell in beside her. "The morning Supergirl fought Lex, I went to work in a really good mood. The smiling so big that cartoon birds start circling your head and singing kind of mood. My friend Debbie, the one who was with me at the party, decided that meant I must have a girlfriend. I told her I was just in a good mood because I'd had breakfast with a friend. She wouldn't leave it alone, so I finally told her that I was in a good mood because Supergirl had spent the night at my place.

"She flipped me the bird and went back to her desk, because who believes that kind of shit, right? It's like claiming you banged Angelina Jolie on your vacation."

"Except you actually know Supergirl," Alex said.

"So do half the cops on the force," Maggie said. "But then Supergirl fought Lex and… Have you seen the footage?"

"No," Alex said. "I know I should watch it, but finding time is hard."

"Near the end, he shot her with some sort of Kryptonite beam, then slammed that big globe from the top of the Daily Planet building down on her. I thought she was dead. I thought I watched her die, and I had a pretty visceral reaction. I spent about twenty minutes in the bathroom puking my guts out before one of the uniforms came in and told me she was alive."

"Damn," Alex said.

"Yeah. So, now half the department thinks I'm fucking Supergirl. Which wouldn't be an issue, if the entire department didn't think she murdered eight Senators and four Secret Service agents."

"Fuck," Alex said.

"Yeah. So, you needed to see me?"

"Ben Lockwood showed up at the DEO. He was going to requisition all the alien tech from the armory, and then have us call Supergirl so he could ambush her."

"Fuck."

"Yeah. I pulled a legal block to slow it down. Told him he couldn't have a damn thing until I had a signed Presidential Order. He'll be back in a few hours with the order, and men to enforce it."

"Well, Supergirl's hardly going to fly into the DEO just because they ask nicely," Maggie said.

"That's why I called you. Haley took the signal watch."

"You let her?" she asked.

"I didn't have a choice," Alex said. "She outranks me. If I'd refused, she would have relieved me of command and have me arrested. Then she'd have the watch, and I couldn't do a damn thing about it, like warn you so you could tell Supergirl to stay away."

"Fuck," Maggie said. "I'm sorry. You're right. You're absolutely right. I just…"

"You love her," Alex said.

"Don't say that," Maggie snapped.

"Why not? It's true," Alex said.

Maggie stopped and turned towards Alex. "You, of all people, should know that wanting to be with someone doesn't mean you can be."

Alex had the decency to look like she'd just been slapped, but Maggie couldn't even feel satisfied with that. She just turned and started walking again.

"I'm sorry," Alex said.

"Forget it," Maggie said.

"Maggie, I…"

"I said forget it, Danvers," Maggie said.

Alex's phone chimed, and Maggie looked over at her.

"I've got to go," Alex said.

"Back to the DEO?" Maggie asked.

"No. I'm supposed to meet someone."

"Who?"

"James's sister, Kelly," Alex said. "She's a military psychologist. I thought she might be able to give me some advice on how to convince Haley that this is a situation where following orders isn't the right thing to do."

"Good luck with that," Maggie said.

"You'll warn Supergirl?" Alex asked.

"Of course," Maggie said.

"Thank you," Alex said before she turned and headed for her bike.

Maggie stood there on the sidewalk and watched Alex leave. Once Alex was out of sight, she looked around until she spotted the IA follow team and made sure they were watching. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out her old phone using a loose thumb and forefinger grip. She held it just a little too loose, and when her hand stopped, the phone kept going.

Maggie watched, her mouth open in feigned shock as it sailed across the sidewalk and came down on the curb, the screen shattering on impact before the phone bounced out into traffic. A car ran over it before Maggie had time to move. She let out a string of expletives that would have made a sailor blush, and which earned her more than a few glares.

She stomped over to the curb and had to wait as three more cars ran over it before traffic slowed down enough that she could grab the pieces of the phone. Once she picked up as much of it as she could, she made a show of looking through the pieces, then throwing them into the trash in disgust before she headed back to her bike.

* * *

Maggie pulled her secure phone out as she slid into the booth at Ellie's. She pulled up Kara's contact, and started typing a text.

Maggie: Just saw your sister. She's in a mood. Someone stole the smart watch you gave her.

Kara: What? Who?

Maggie: She says the new girl took it.

Maggie: She also said that the guy she worked with a few days ago was asking about how to get ahold of you.

Kara: The creepy one with the shiny face?

Maggie: That's the one.

Kara: Gross.

Maggie: Yeah. Figured you should know in case new girl gives creepy your number.

Kara: Thanks for the heads up.

Maggie: See you tonight?

Kara: I'd like that.

Maggie: See you then.

Kara: Be safe.

Maggie: Be careful.

Maggie deleted the entire message chain, then slipped the phone back into her pocket as the waiter approached.

"You ready to order, ma'am?"

"Yeah. I'll take the Kansas City Special with lemonade."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

"You getting drunk in the middle of the day, Sawyer?"

Maggie looked up from the glass of lemonade she'd been nursing for the past hour to see Debbie standing by the table.

"Two questions," Maggie said. "One, what the hell are you doing here, and two, how the fuck did you find me?"

"It reverse order, barbeque is your go to comfort food, this is your favorite barbeque joint in the city, and word is, you saw your ex today and had a pretty heated argument, so I figured you'd would need the comfort.

"As for the why I'm here, that little stunt you pulled with your phone ruffled some feathers, and you ditching your tail has IA spitting fire. They want you brought in for questioning again, so pretty much the entire department is looking for you."

"You come to arrest me, Debbie?"

"Fuck that shit. I came to ask you what the hell you're doing?"

"Rotting my teeth with lemonade and trying to decide if I want another slice of carrot cake."

"I meant the part where you're fucking your ex-girlfriend's little sister."

"Jesus!" Maggie said. "Keep your voice down."

"Keep my voice down? That's the best you've got?"

Maggie glared up at her. "How about 'sit the fuck down before I shoot you with your own gun'?"

Maggie watched as Debbie slid into the booth across from her. As she settled herself into her seat, she reached up and smoothed out her shirt. Maggie's hand tightened around her glass as she saw the outline of a wire pressed against Debbie's stomach. The move had to be deliberate. One of the first things they teach you about wearing a wire is to avoid anything that might profile it.

"Happy?" Debbie asked.

"No," Maggie said, a plan already forming in her head. "You just can't leave shit alone, can you? It's not bad enough you got me suspended. Now you've got to stick your nose in this too."

"I got you suspended?" Debbie asked, and Maggie was pretty sure the confusion written on her face was as genuine as the anger in Maggie's voice.

"Yeah. You got me suspended."

"How the fuck do you figure that?"

"Because if you had left me the fuck alone two days ago, I never would have made that stupid joke about Supergirl spending the night at my place."

"Yeah, because God forbid someone give a shit about Maggie fucking Sawyer."

Maggie leaned forward. "Giving a shit is fine, but you were being a nosey bitch. I told you what I was comfortable sharing about why I was in a good mood, but you just wouldn't let it go. You just pushed and pushed, just like you always do, and the more you pushed, the less I wanted to tell you about having breakfast with Kara, because I knew you'd make it into something it's not."

"So, tell me what it is, because it *looks* like you're fucking your ex fiancée's little sister, and that is not a good look on anyone."

"And there's the judgement. This is why I didn't want to tell you."

"Maggie-"

"I'm not fucking her, okay?" Maggie snapped.

"I've seen the surveillance reports, Maggie. She's spent the night at your place the last two nights."

"She's going through some really bad shit right now, okay. Family drama. Problems at work. Problems with her best friend, who also happens to be her boss. She just needs someone to be there for her. I know enough about what's going on that she can talk to me without violating anyone's trust, but I'm not in the middle of it anymore, so I can be there for her."

Debbie stared at her for a minute, and Maggie could watch the wheels turning. "Oh, fucking hell… You're in love with her."

Maggie slumped back in her chair and sighed. "So people keep telling me."

"Jesus fucking Christ."

"I'm pretty sure he had nothing to do with it."

"How the hell did it happen?"

"She's a reporter. She works at CatCo. She's on the alien beat. I ran into her while I was on the job. We talked a little bit, and it was nice, right up until I decided to be a bitch. But then that shit show out at Shelley Island happened."

"What did she have to do with that?"

"She used to date James Olsen. They're still good friends, and she knows Supergirl through Cat Grant, and her sister, who's an FBI agent, and through me. She's used Supergirl as a source a few times. She's also close to a few other aliens. I knew she'd be upset, and I was on medical leave after I caught that bullet last year, so I reached out because I didn't have anything better to do. We met for coffee and donuts, and it wasn't terrible. Actually, it was really nice, you know. Just being able to talk.

"After the first time it kept happening. She needed someone to talk to, and I liked being that person. It made me feel like I mattered. It made me feel like someone needed me. Then one night, I found her in a bar I go to sometimes, and she was already halfway to shit faced. She wouldn't let me stay unless I agreed to drink. By the end of the night, we were both plastered, and she didn't want to go home, so I took her to my place."

"I thought you said you weren't fucking her."

"I'm not," Maggie said. "I just held her while she slept. And after the first time, it just kept happening."

"So you, Maggie Sawyer, woman who fucked her way through half the lesbians in Gotham in just under three months, are a straight girl's cuddle bitch? God damn, that's pathetic, even for you."

"Fuck you."

"It does make a lot more sense though."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you never seemed like you were up for the level of dyke drama involved in revenge fucking your ex's baby sister."

Maggie just glared at her.

"That's a compliment."

"I'm not feeling it."

Debbie shrugged.

"Why are we friends again?" Maggie asked.

"Because I'm the only other gay woman in the Science Division."

"What's Bell, chopped liver?"

"Married to a man."

"Um, no. Charlie is short for Charlene."

"How did I not know that?" Debbie asked.

"Because you're a terrible lesbian, a worse detective, and a horrible friend."

"Eat me."

"That's what your wife said last night."

"Funny," Debbie said. "So, you never banged Supergirl."

"I wish," Maggie said. "The flying thing is way hotter than it has any right to be."

"Wait, you've gone flying with her?"

"Yeah. A couple of times. It's on the record in my reports."

"And you really don't know her secret identity?"

"She never told me, and I never asked."

"Do you know how to get ahold of her?"

"Tape an 'S' over one of the search lights, then point it at the sky after dark."

"Maggie…"

"It works in Gotham."

"For fuck sake…"

"Put a hot blonde billionaire media mogul in the park under a giant box propped up by a stick."

Debbie laughed. "Shit. Where the rumors after her and Cat Grant true?"

"No. Supergirl had a boyfriend."

"Any idea who he is?"

"Some alien. Claimed he was a palace guard or some shit on his home planet. He left the Earth not long after the Daxamite invasion. Messy breakup. Apparently, he has a wife."

"Damn."

"You know she's not guilty, right?"

"Maggie, I know she's your friend-"

"That's not it," Maggie said. "I asked her once why she's Supergirl. Why not just keep it to herself? And she told me. The Kryptonians have this… commandment I guess you'd call it. It's called The First Law of Rao. The English translation is 'You must make the universe whole'. It's a commandment to protect people, to ease suffering, and to help those around you. It's their most important religious precept. And Supergirl has made that the center of her life."

"The Bible says 'Thou shalt not kill'. I used to be a homicide detective. You know how many killers had a Bible in their house when I arrested them?"

"How many of them nearly killed themselves lifting an alien prison into space to keep the human race from getting their brains melted? How many of them fought the Daxamite Queen in single combat? How many of them went toe to toe with Reign? She's saved the world three times, and that's just what the public knows about."

"Yeah, and one night, she was in a bad mood and tossed Cat Grant off the fortieth floor of her building, then trashed most of downtown."

"Because she was drugged."

"That's what she said. But twelve dead bodies in DC tell a different story."

"Yeah, because there's totally not news footage of her fighting an imposter back before the Myriad wave."

"Look, I get it. She's your work buddy. You like her. She's your friend."

"She saved my life. Five times, by my count. She also kept me from losing my arm last November."

"If you keep up like this, that promotion you're up for is going to go away, and it might take your badge with it. Your girl did this. You need to get on board with that."

Maggie reached back, took out her wallet, and dropped two twenties on the table. "I don't believe it. I won't believe it unless she stands in front of me and tells me she did it, and even then, I'd have my doubts."

She stood up and looked down at Debbie. "To be clear, I'm not fucking Supergirl, she's never told me her secret identity, and when I worked with her, she wore an earpiece from the agency I was liaising with. If you want to contact her, try them. But I will not help you or anyone else hunt down someone I know to be innocent. If that costs me my badge, I'm good with that."

Before Debbie could say anything else, Maggie headed for the door.

* * *

"Authorities have identified Supergirl as the attacker in an attempt to free prisoners of Stryker's Island."

Maggie stood next to Kara as the watched the news report in Lena's office, and had to work to swallow the bitter taste in her mouth that came with it. She'd been a cop for a long time, and she'd always tried to do her job the right way, to catch the right person. She wasn't under any illusion that she'd never gotten it wrong. It was something she hated about the job. The near certainty that at some point, she'd sent someone to prison who didn't deserve it. She lived with it by telling herself she did more good than harm, that she helped more people than she hurt. That if it wasn't her, then it would be someone else, someone who might be less careful, less concerned about making sure justice was done instead of just closing cases. Standing there now, she felt sick at how eager the system she'd spent a huge portion of her life serving was so eager to lock up or kill someone she knew was innocent.

"Attempt to free prisoners. That's ridiculous!" Alex said, and Maggie smiled at the indignity in her voice. It was so like Alex, to rage against what she perceived as injustice.

"It's always a joy to see the new and creative ways people find to hate the good guys," Lena said.

Maggie looked over at Kara, and she could see the pain on her face. Could see Kara working herself up to say something she didn't want to say.

"That prisoner, Steve, he wasn't wrong. I did make things worse. How many prisoners almost died today because of me? I put you in jeopardy at the prison. Alex was in jeopardy at the DEO. Maggie's under investigation by internal affairs. It's clear I am doing more harm than good right now. So I think it's time Supergirl lay low. There are other ways to get to the truth."

Kara looked over at her, the unvoiced question written on her face. Maggie smiled and reached out, taking her hand for a moment, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'll text you once I'm done here."

"You going home after?" Kara asked.

Maggie shook her head. "I thought I might crash with a friend tonight. Going back to my apartment feels like a bad idea."

"Okay," Kara said before she walked out onto the balcony and shot into the air.

"Is she going to be okay?" Alex asked.

"I don't know," Maggie said. "Like I said last night, being Supergirl isn't some hobby for her. It's part of who she is. It's almost a religious mandate. The First Law of Rao. 'You must make the universe whole'."

"Make the universe whole? What does that even mean?" Lena asked.

"It means you have to try to make the world a better place. Ease misery and suffering. Help whoever you can. I don't know all the ins and outs of it but helping people as Supergirl is how she honors the world, the people, the culture, and the religion that she lost. Take that away from her, and it's stripping away a part of who she is. I don't know how that's going to affect her."

"You need to make sure she holds it together," Alex said. "When we find out what Lex is doing, we're going to need her."

"I know," Maggie said. "How far do you think we can trust Haley?"

"I don't know," Alex said. "She didn't call Supergirl into an ambush, so that's a good start, but I don't think I'll be inviting her into our little club anytime soon."

"What about the weapons Lockwood took?"

"We didn't have any stores of Kryptonite, thank god, and he didn't take any of the red sunlight grenades, so only a couple of the weapons can actually hurt her. There's a grenade launcher type weapon that shoots this ball of acidic tar. It sticks and even for a Kryptonian, it's hard to get off. It can't kill her, but it can burn her pretty badly. Most of the rest of the stuff can't do much more than knock her around. There's a sonic canon that's the biggest danger. It could disable her long enough for someone to get inhibitor cuffs on her.

"Great. That's just fucking great."

"You know, this would be a lot easier if we could contact her directly," Lena said.

"It would also be a lot easier if every law enforcement agency in the country wasn't hunting her," Maggie said.

"Yes, but-"

"Lena," Alex said in a warning tone.

"I'm just trying to make things easier," Lena said.

Maggie bit down on the urge to say things would be a lot easier if Lena hadn't been fucking around with the Harun-El in the first place. "Call me if you need anything. I'll pass the message along. But if you need her, and I mean, really, life and death need her, just call her name. She'll hear you."

* * *

Kara wiped the tears from her eyes when she heard the key on the lock. She looked over to make sure it was actually Maggie and smiled when she saw the bag full of clothes slung over her shoulder and the box of donuts. The door opened and Maggie stepped inside.

"You really should change the hiding place for the spare key once in a while," Maggie said.

"You should keep the key," Kara said.

Maggie paused for a second, then looked over at her. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'll get another one cut tomorrow and find a new hiding spot for it."

"Okay," Maggie said. She sat down the donuts, took out her keys and put Kara's spare on the ring before putting them back in her pocket. Then she dropped her overnight bag on the bed and brought the donuts over to Kara on the couch.

"How are you holding up?" Maggie asked.

"I had a good cry," Kara said.

"I figured," Maggie said. "That's why I brought donuts."

"I saw that," Kara said. "And I appreciate it."

"First rule of being a successful lesbian. Always give the ladies what they want."

Kara laughed and made grabby hands at the donut box, so Maggie opened it and held it out, so Kara could take her pick. Shockingly Kara took the strawberry glazed with sprinkles. Maggie grabbed one of the chocolate glazed custard filled and took a bite.

"So, tell me about this Steve guy?" Maggie said.

"Steve Lomeli," Kara said. "He released tens of thousands of documents detailing illegal domestic surveillance. The CIA monitoring US citizens. Warrantless wiretaps. All sorts of things. He was in the cell next to Lex's."

"What did he say to you?"

"He called me a malignant narcissist, and he said I ruin everything I touch. He said I thought I was above the law."

"You know he's full of shit, right?" Maggie said.

"I don't know. I mean, you said it yourself. I never look before I leap."

"I was angry when I said that, and I was wrong," Maggie said. "You, /,kahrah,zor,el,/, help people. You save lives. You inspire hope."

"Today, I didn't inspire hope. I nearly inspired a massacre. Those soldiers came into that prison, ready to kill anything that moved, because I was there. They were willing to slaughter all of those people, just to get to me. I can't justify going back out there. Not when I know that I'll be putting people in danger, just by being around them."

"Then don't," Maggie said. "If your instincts are telling you to step back, then do it. Step back. Come at it from another angle. The world will survive without Supergirl until we can clear your name. And when we do, you will go back out there, you will help people, and you will feel Rao's light on your face again."

"Donuts and a speech about hope from Maggie Sawyer. This is not how I expected my night to go."

"Yeah, but, it's better, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Kara said. "Yeah, actually it is."


	14. American Dreamer

Notes: This Chapter contains canon dialog from the episode "American Dreamer"

Warning: This chapter contains an implied threat of sexual violence.

* * *

March 22, 2019

Maggie stepped out of the bathroom, still scrubbing her hair dry with a towel. It had been a long day at the end of a long week and all she really wanted was to eat, and then curl in with Kara and sleep. Actually, the eating part was optional, but she knew if Kara didn't get some calories in her, they were both in for a restless night.

"Did you have a preference for dinner?" Kara asked.

"I'd love a cheesesteak," Maggie said.

"Extra cheese, extra pepperoncini's, grilled onions and peppers?" Kara asked.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "A basket of fries to go with."

Kara took out her phone and started entering the order.

"I was thinking tomorrow, we could start going through the financials for AmerTek," Maggie said.

"There's not a lot there," Kara said. "All I have is the publicly available investor reports."

"It's a place to start," Maggie said. "We know they're involved, and maybe it will give us a clue as to how and why."

"Yeah," Kara said. Maggie could hear the frustration in her voice, and she understood it. After Kara had decided to lay low as Supergirl, Maggie had decided, since she was on indefinite leave from the NCPD, to use her skills as an investigator to help Kara figure out what the hell Lex was up to. James had been more than a little surprised to see her sitting at one of the empty desks in the bullpen, but Kara had just told him she was there to help with the investigation. James had taken it in stride, but the last four days has mostly been them banging their head against a wall, trying to figure out what the hell Lex was up to, and the stress was starting to take its toll on Kara.

She stepped up behind Kara and slipped her arms around Kara's waist, pressing against her. Kara sat down the phone and turned around in Maggie's arms.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Kara said.

"I know," Maggie said as she went up on her toes and kissed Kara. It was soft and gentle, but she moaned softly when Kara's arms tightened around her. She pulled back then, because she knew what would happen if she didn't. Both of them knew. It's why they kept the kissing to a minimum, and always kept them short. It would be far, far to easy for them to end up in bed together, and that would only make it harder when the day came when they finally had to stop.

Maggie buried her face in Kara's neck, and squeezed her eyes shut. They shouldn't be doing this at all. They shouldn't be hugging, they shouldn't be kissing, and Maggie sure as hell shouldn't be practically living with Kara. She hadn't been home since the night before Kara went to Stryker's Island. She hadn't spent the night away from Kara since the night Lex escaped. Most of her clothes were hung on one of Kara's rolling racks. Her Bonsia trees were up on the roof, mixed into Kara's rooftop garden. It had been a week since she realized she had feelings for Kara, and their lives were already up than Maggie and Alex had been at any point before Alex had proposed. Maggie honestly didn't know how she was ever going to bring herself to walk away.

A knock on the door pulled Maggie out of her thoughts. "That was fast," she said.

"Especially since I didn't finish placing the order," Kara said. She let go of Maggie and turned to look at the door, and Maggie could feel the panic roll off of her. "It's Alex!"

"Calm down," Maggie said as she choked down her own panic. She looked at Kara, who was standing there in a pair of pajamas, then down at the tank top and pajama pants she was wearing. It was obvious that they were getting ready for bed, which actually gave Maggie the perfect solution. "Go get a pillow and a couple of spare blankets and put them on the couch, then put on your glasses."

Kara disappeared at super speed as Maggie walked over to the door. She glanced back to check that Kara had her glasses on, and the blankets and pillow were laid out on the couch, then opened the door.

"Hey, Kara I… Maggie?"

Maggie smiled at Alex. "We keep running into each other like this, Danvers, and people are going to talk."

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked. "And where's Kara?"

Maggie opened the door wider and glanced back, to see Kara wave from where she was sitting on the couch. "Come on in, and I'll explain."

Alex stepped inside, and Maggie closed the door behind her, and locked it.

"What's going on?" Alex asked.

"Supergirl was worried that Lex might make a run at anyone connected to her, the way he used to do at Lois Lane and James when he was going after Superman. Lena's got an army of corporate security, and you've got the whole DEO to protect you. As long as James has the Harun-El in his system, Kara's the most exposed of the people publicly connected to Supergirl, so Supergirl asked me to stay here, in case Kara needs someone and you're not available."

"Oh," Alex said. She still had a dubious look on her face.

Maggie shrugged. "Not going to lie. I think part of it was Supergirl wanting to keep Kara and I in the same place, so there was less chance she'd have to pick one of us to rescue if Lex came for both of us at once."

Alex relaxed a little. "I suppose that makes sense."

Maggie smiled. "She worries a lot about the people she cares about. I think that's part of the reason she got so upset when the DEO fired her. She can't be there to pull your ass out of the fire when you get in over your head."

Alex gave her an indignant look. "When have I ever gotten in over my head?"

"I have a list," Kara said. "Do you want it in alphabetical or chronological order?"

Alex turned to Kara. "Really? Stabbed in the back by my own sister."

"If it makes you feel any better, the list is a shared google doc," Maggie said. "Kara, J'onn, James, Winn, Brainy, Susan, Lucy and your mom and I all have access."

Alex glared, but Kara laughed.

"You both suck," Alex said. She sighed and turned towards Kara. "I was kind of hoping for a sister night, but since you have company…"

"I could head out for a few hours," Maggie said. "Give you two some time alone."

"No," Kara said. "Don't be silly. We can totally do sister night. All three of us."

Maggie looked at Alex. "I'm game if you are."

Alex nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Totally."

"Great!" Kara said. "We were going to order from Vinny's. You want a Pastrami Ruben?"

"Yes! And-"

"Chili Cheese fries with extra cheese sauce," Kara said.

Maggie shook her head. "Same old Alex."

* * *

March 25, 2019

"You sure James doesn't mind us using his office?" Maggie asked as she dropped the box of bagels on the table.

"Yeah," Kara said. "He said I could use it until he gets back."

"Still no luck extracting the Harun-El serum?" Maggie asked.

"Lena said she thinks she's got the extractor figured out," Kara said. "Alex, Lena, Kelly and Brainy are all spending the day in Lena's lab, working on it."

"Fun," Maggie said as she picked up a folder and started reading another report. "You make any progress while I was getting bagels?"

"Not really," Kara said. "I know that AmerTek is involved, but we knew that four days ago. We know Lex stole Lena's research, we know Eve was working with him, we know that there's some connection to Ben Lockwood. I just can't figure out how it all fits together."

Maggie looked up at the murder board Kara had put together on the window, following the lines and the connections, and one thing was glaringly obvious. "That's because we're still missing something big."

"I know," Kara said. "I feel like, if we knew what his endgame was, we could put it all together, but this is like trying to do a jigsaw with half the pieces missing when you don't even know what the picture looks like."

"We'll figure it out," Maggie said. "We just need some way inside AmerTek."

"Yeah. I-"

The sound of Maggie's phone ringing cut Kara off, and Maggie sighed. She pulled the phone out and glanced at the caller ID and saw her Lieutenant's name. She hadn't given work her knew phone number, but she'd had the old number ported over to an encrypted voice over IP call forwarding service, which she'd then pointed to her secure phone. The calls could still be tapped on the other end, but it allowed her to be able to communicate with the outside world without IA being able to follow her or bug her through her phone, which meant her communications were as secure as Lena Luthor could make them. She wasn't sure how far she trusted that, not enough to put anything that might out Kara as Supergirl in a text or an email, or to say anything which would out her over the phone, but enough that she didn't feel the need to disassemble the phone or put it in a Faraday cage before talking in the same room as it.

The question was, why was her Lieutenant calling her, and there was only one way to find out.

"Sawyer," Maggie said.

"I need you to come in," Isaacs said.

"Is my suspension over?" Maggie asked.

"No," Isaacs said. "Internal Affairs wants to talk to you again."

"Then I want a lawyer and my union rep present," Maggie replied.

"Will you actually talk if they are?" Isaacs asked.

"No, but if the department is going to waste my time, I want to make sure it costs them as much as possible."

"Damn it, Maggie, you're going to lose your fucking job," Isaacs said.

"If that's what it comes to, then I'm okay with it," Maggie said. "But I'll tell you now what I've told you every time I've been interviewed. Supergirl never told me her secret identity. To the best of my knowledge, none of the agents working at the agency I liaised with who were there during my tenure know her secret identity. My best suggestion for how you can contact her is to go through that agency. And you're wasting your time looking for her, because she didn't do this."

"She was caught on a dozen different cameras," Isaacs said. "She's guilty as sin. She needs to turn herself in."

"If I see her, I will be sure to pass along your recommendation that a person with no legal rights or standing under US law should turn herself over to a legal system which has already predetermined her guilt in violation of its own fundamental principals in a country that thinks torture is acceptable and appointed an anti-alien terrorist to the office of Secretary of Alien Affairs."

"Sawyer… Damn it, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but the State's Attorney is Preparing Obstruction Charges. You need to come in and tell us what you know."

"I've already told you what I know, sir," Maggie said. "I can't tell you what I don't know."

"Then I suggest you find a lawyer. A really, really good one, because no union hack is going to be able to make this go away."

"I'll take it under advisement," Maggie said before she disconnected the call.

"I'm sorry," Kara said.

Maggie shook her head. "It's my own fault."

"I do know a really good lawyer, if it would help."

"Are they cheap, because I'm about to be unemployed and very broke."

"How does free sound?"

"Just about right," Maggie said.

Kara took out her phone, pulled up a contact, and hit the call button.

"Hey," Kara said. "Yeah, it's been a while. How's Susan? That's great. Look, I know this is kind of out of the blue, but can you get away from DC for a few days? I have a friend who's in trouble, and she could use a good lawyer. Really? That soon? Great. I really appreciate it, Lucy. Give Cat and Susan my love."

Kara disconnected the call and sat her phone down on the table. "Lucy will be here in about eight hours," Kara said.

"Lucy Lane?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah," Kara said. "She's a terrific lawyer."

"And apparently extremely hot." Maggie couldn't stop herself from smiling at the blush that colored Kara's cheeks.

"Yeah," Kara said.

Maggie reached over and grabbed Kara's hand, giving it a small squeeze. "Well, she better not try to steal my girl while she's here."

The words came out in a gentle, teasing tone, without Maggie even really thinking about it before she said them, and Kara's lips turned up in a smile that made Maggie's heart skip a beat, and for a moment, it was okay. For a moment, it was just a couple sharing a joke about a crush one of them had once. For a moment, it was an innocent bit of teasing that made them both happy. Then reality settled in, and Maggie closed her eyes to avoid the pain she knew would settle into Kara's face at any moment.

"I'm sorry," Maggie said. "I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay," Kara said.

"No, it's not."

"Maggie, look at me."

Maggie opened her eyes, and saw Kara giving her one of those sad little smiles that always managed to rip Maggie's heart right out of her chest.

"I wish I was," Kara said. "I wish I could be."

"I know," Maggie said. She gave Kara's hand another small squeeze, before she let go. "We should get back to work."

She could tell Kara wanted to say more, but she apparently decided to let it go. She turned back to the file she'd been reading before Maggie's phone rang, and Maggie did the same, doing her best to focus on anything that could give them a clue as to what Lex might be planning, but the focus didn't come easily.

After the near miss with Alex a couple of days earlier, they'd tried to back off. Maggie was still staying with Kara, and they were still sleeping in the same bed, but there were no more stolen kisses. They were trying to be friends, and they were doing a good job of fooling most people. Maggie was pretty sure Nia had figured it out, but she had been mercifully silent, and selectively deaf when one of them slipped and said something that any reasonable person would realize was a sign that there was more going on than friendship.

The problem was the slips were getting more and more frequent. Maggie was so far past pretending this was anything she would ever recover from. She didn't used the word, not even in her head, and Kara had kept her promise not to say it, but that didn't mean the feelings didn't exist. Not saying it didn't keep it from being hard, and it was so very, very hard. It was hard being so close to Kara, feeling the way she did, and not being able to say it. It was hard not being able to kiss Kara any time she wanted to. It was hard not being able to tell her how amazing and special and wonder she was.

It was hard, knowing that however much they wanted to be together, they couldn't be.

The hardest part though was lying to Kara. Kara thought that when all of this was over, that they would still be friends, still be family. Maggie knew better. She hadn't wanted to believe it at first because it was going to kill her but from the moment Alex had seen them together the night the imposter attacked, this thing between them, whatever it was, had an expiration date. The look on Alex's face when Maggie opened the door of Kara's apartment had driven the truth home. The day Alex got her memories back, Maggie would have to fall on her own sword and take all the blame. She would have to sell the lie that she was an idiot lesbian who had a stupid crush on her ex-girlfriend's straight baby sister. She'd have to keep her distance to sell the lie that it was one sided. Stay away while she got over her hopeless feelings. Except, it wouldn't be temporary, because she wasn't going get over Kara.

She knew it would hurt Kara, but there was no way out of this that didn't end up with both of them getting hurt and walking away would hurt Kara less. Alex and Kara were each other's home, they were each other's world. Losing Maggie would hurt Kara but losing Alex would kill her. So, when the time came, she would walk away. She would do it without hesitation or regret, because she loved them both too much to do anything else.

Maggie looked up from the file she was staring at as she felt a shift in the room and saw what she thought of as Kara's 'Superhearing face'. Eyes unfocused, her slightly tilted, brow creased in concentration. She expected Kara to frown and go back to work the way she had some many times in the time since she put away the cape, but Kara leapt to her feet and headed for the bullpen. Maggie scrambled out of her chair and followed her. She caught sight of Nia at the other end of the bullpen and thought for a moment that was where Kara was headed, but Kara stopped at a desk and bent down.

"Were you just talking to someone that works at AmerTek?" she asked.

A man Maggie has seen in the bullpen before stood up with a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. "My sister."

"Well, I'm working on an article to expose Lex Luthor and I know AmerTek was involved. Do you think your sister would be willing to talk to me?" Kara asked.

The man stammered for a moment, and Maggie could see the fear and reluctance on his face. "I don't know. It's..."

"Franklin, did you sleep hear last night?" Nia asked as she walked up.

The look on Franklin's face shifted from fear and reluctance to embarrassment and anger. "Lockwood and his men raided the building across the street from mine."

"I am so sorry," Nia said.

"Me too," Kara said. "But that is why this is so important for us to put a stop to. Have your sister call me?"

Franklin nodded.

"Thanks, Franklin," Kara said, then she turned and headed back towards James' office. Nia followed, but Maggie stayed.

"It's Franklin, right?" Maggie asked, and Franklin nodded.

"Yeah," he said.

"We haven't met. I'm Maggie Sawyer. I'm a friend of Kara's."

"I know who you are," he said. "I've seen you around."

Maggie was pretty sure he didn't just mean CatCo. "You're an alien, right?"

"Dryad," Franklin said.

Maggie glanced around to make sure there was no one who could overhear them before turned back to Franklin. "If I give you an address, you think you can remember it?"

"I think so," he said.

"It's important. You can't write it down or put it into GPS. You have to remember it."

"Okay," he said. "What is it?"

"It's a safe place. A shelter for aliens who don't have anywhere else to go. It's called a Kara House."

"You think they'd let me stay there?"

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Your sister too. And any other family you have."

"Where is it?"

* * *

"Thank you," Kara said as Maggie sat down.

"For what?" Maggie asked as she dug through one of the file boxes.

"For what you just did for Franklin," Kara said. "I'm ashamed I didn't think of it."

"Don't be," Maggie said as she pulled out the file she was looking for. "Your focus is elsewhere."

"That shouldn't matter," Kara said. "He's in trouble, and I didn't even think about a way to help him other than catching Lex."

Maggie sat the file down. "Kara, don't do this to yourself. What you do out there as Supergirl isn't like what I do. I know when we were talking about you going back to Argo, I compared you to a cop, but the similarities only go so far. You're like some weird combination of a motorcycle cop, an FBI agent, a SWAT team, and fire rescue, with a little bit of DHS thrown in there. You respond to crises and emergencies and huge, world ending threats, and you save a lot of lives doing it. But you don't have any experience with community policing or walking a beat.

"Cops, the good ones anyway, learn things on the beat. They learn what the community resources are. Shelters, missions, foodbanks, community centers, big brother and big sister programs."

"You showed me the Kara Houses," Kara said.

"Yeah, but it's not just about knowing that the resources are there. It's about developing a habit of using them. A good cop will learn to spot when people need a lift to the shelter or the food bank more than they need a ride to central booking. They get into the habit of using those resources. You've never had the chance to develop that habit, so I stepped in and filled the gap. Stronger together, right?"

Kara's smile lit up the room. "Right."

"So what did Nia want?" Maggie asked. "It looked like it was a pretty serious conversation."

Kara sighed and the smile faded. "She wants me to suit up and go back out there."

"Is that what you want?" Maggie asked.

"Yes," Kara said. "But nothing has changed. If I go back out there as Supergirl, I'm still a danger to anyone I try to help."

"Sounds like you know what you need to do," Maggie said.

"I don't know," Kara said. "What do you think?"

"You really want to know?"

"Yes."

"I think Nia is young and inexperienced. I think a lot of her idea of what it means to be a hero comes from movies and comic books. I think she means well, but she isn't looking at the bigger picture. I think right now, you can do more good as Kara Danvers than you can as Supergirl. I know that sucks. I know that sitting behind a desk, pouring through files feels like you're not doing enough, but I also know this is how we find Lex. This is how we bring him down, and put his bald ass back in a cell, and with any luck at all, we take that motherfucker Lockwood down with him. Hell, if we're really lucky, we might bring down Baker's whole administration."

"Thank you," Kara said. "I think I needed to hear that."

"I'm sure you did," Maggie said. "I've been where you are. You get a case, and you want to be out, chasing clues, busting heads, kicking in doors. But what we're doing solves more cases than any of that."

"Then I guess we should get back too it."

* * *

Kara hung up the phone and sat it back on the table.

"Good news?" Maggie asked.

Kara nodded. "Franklin's sister is willing to talk to me."

"When?"

"She wants to meet around one."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Kara looked over and Maggie and took a moment to brace herself. "I think it would be better if I went alone."

"Okay," Maggie said before she looked back down at the file she was reading.

"Okay? That's it?"

Maggie looked up from the file again. "Yeah."

"You're not going to argue?"

"No," Maggie said. "Did you expect me to?"

"After what happened when I said I didn't want you to go to Stryker's Island, yeah, I did."

Maggie frowned. "Kara, I don't want you to think I'm going to fight you every time you need to go somewhere without me. I want you to go with you, the same way I wanted to go with you to Stryker's. But you made a good point. You and Lena could walk into that situation, and if it went sideways, the consequences for either of you were hardly worth mentioning. But if I walked in there, and I was seen with you, it would be the end of my career at best. So, I'm guessing, if you don't want me to go this time, you have a reason."

"She's nervous. I'm afraid if you go with me, she won't talk."

"Okay," Maggie said. "Thank you for telling me, but I want to be clear. You didn't need to. I was willing to accept it on your word. I trust you. I should have trusted you that night you told me you didn't want to go with you to Stryker's. I might have gotten my back up because you were taking Lena, but that's my issue, and I shouldn't have put that on you. You are competent, you're capable, and you can take care of yourself. That doesn't stop me from wanting to take care of you, but I'm not going to get in the way of you doing your job. Either of them."

"Thank you," Kara said.

"There is one condition though," Maggie said.

"Okay," Kara said. She had a pretty good idea of what Maggie was about to say, and she knew she wasn't going to like it, but if it was what she thought, then Maggie had every right to ask.

"You can't ask me to hold back just because something is dangerous. You have to respect that fact that I've been one of the people who run towards danger a lot longer than you've been wearing that cape. I may not be a follower of Rao, but that doesn't mean I don't feel the same need to make the world a better place. You have to let me do that. You have to let me help. Okay?"

Kara wanted to say no. She wanted to tell Maggie that she needed her to be safe, because it would kill her if anything ever happened to Maggie, but she didn't. She'd had this same fight with herself over Alex years ago. The burning desire to protect her sister that was at odds with the need to have her sister by her side in the middle of the fight. To know that the person she could trust in any situation had her back. She knew that Maggie was just as competent in the field as Alex, and she knew she had to let her be in the field, because Maggie would never be satisfied on the sidelines.

"Okay," Kara said. "I promise."

"Good," Maggie said. "Now go see your source."

* * *

Maggie frowned as she looked at the two files she had spread out in front of her, wondering if she'd finally found a lead. It was paper thin, but the timelines added up. The purple sky incident which had led to the alien super drug happened the same day Lex had left his cell for places unknown. He'd come back a few days later, and his inquiries into Lena's research had picked up. He was diagnosed with cancer a couple of weeks later. She couldn't see the whole picture. It was frustrating, like the rest of it. There was something missing, some piece of connective tissue she wasn't seeing, but the timing wasn't coincidental.

She leaned back, sighing in frustration. "You're staring," she said, without looking at the figure standing in the doorway of James' office.

"I'm sorry," Nia said.

"Have a seat, before I throw an empty bagel box at your head," Maggie said.

Nia took the seat next to her and Maggie turned to look at her, so she didn't have to stare at the files anymore.

"What's on your mind?" Maggie asked.

"You and Kara," Nia said.

Maggie closed her eyes, reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose. At least Nia wasn't beating around the bush about it.

"If I said I didn't want to talk about it, would you leave it alone?"

"Well, I mean, this is me, so probably not."

Maggie laughed as she opened her eyes and looked at Nia. "At least you're honest."

"Yeah," Nia said. "I learned that lesson the hard way."

"Sounds like there's a story there."

"There is. I don't know if you're heard of my species. Well, my mother's species. I'm half Naltorian."

"I've heard whispers. 'The witches of Naltor'."

"Witch isn't the preferred term," Nia said. "Some of the women on my world have the power to dream the future. The stronger ones can do other things. Astral project, conjure items of pure dream energy. I can do all of that. The thing is, the powers are passed mother to daughter. When my mother was pregnant with my older sister, Maeve, she had a dream that her daughter would become a hero called Dreamer. Growing up, everyone in the family, including me, assumed that Maeve would get the powers."

"Because your mother had the dream while she was pregnant with Maeve?" Maggie asked.

"That was part of it," Nia said. "But part of it was that I'm trans. I was assigned male at birth. I think, when I transitioned, it just never occurred to any of us to go back and reconsider. By that time, we all just knew that Maeve was going to get the powers. By the time the powers showed up, my family had spent twenty-seven years expecting Maeve to become dreamer. So, you can imagine my surprise when I started dreaming the future."

"Yeah," Maggie said. "That had to be a shock."

"That's an understatement."

"What did you do?"

"I had a major freak out," Nia said. "I think I was entitled. I mean, there I was, two weeks away from getting on a plane, moving to National City, and starting my dream job. I was going to be working for Kara Danvers as a reporter at CatCo. And suddenly, I'm dreaming the future. I never expected the powers and I never wanted them. So, I did the worst possible thing.

"I lied. To everyone. To my mom, to my dad, to Kara, to James, to Ms. Grant, and to my sister. Especially to my sister. It… didn't end well."

"What happened?"

"My mother died, and it was my fault. I had a dream that she died, and I didn't tell anyone. I tried to stop it, but I'd never studied dream language. I didn't understand the symbolism, so I missed the real threat. When my sister found out that I'd been hiding my powers, she blamed me for our Mom's death. She said, 'How did someone like you get them? You're not even a real woman.'"

"Fuck," Maggie said. It was the only thing she could say, the only word that could express what she was feeling. She could feel the pain radiating off of Nia, and she remembered the way she'd felt the day her father had thrown her out. The feeling of having someone you loved ripped away because of who you are, and how they felt about an immutable part of you. "Nia, I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Nia said. "You know, my whole life, Maeve was Maeve. She was my hero. My big sister. She was my first and best friend my whole life. My champion, my protector, my advocate, and my biggest supporter. And when she said that to me, it felt like she reached into my chest and tore my heart out. And living without Maeve in my life has been hell. I feel like I lost my mother and my sister the same day. It's like pieces of me have been cut off.

"The only reason I've survived it is because of Kara. She stepped in, she called made me a part of her family, taught me how to use my powers, and she reminded me that I should never be ashamed of any part of who I am."

"That sounds like Kara alright," Maggie said.

"You know, she told me you're her family too. And if I'm her family, and you're her family, then we're each other's family. I don't know what we are to each other, exactly. Sisters maybe. But I do know that you're important to Kara, and I do know that you're important to me."

"Thank you," Maggie said. "That means a lot."

Nia nodded. "I've been watching the two of you this past week, and it's hard to miss the fact that the two of you have feelings for each other."

"See, this is the part I don't want to talk about," Maggie said.

"I know, and I know Kara doesn't want to talk about it either. I picked that up that first day you and I met. I have been trying to respect that, but Kara made me promise to take care of you, and I promised myself I would take care of Kara, so I have to talk about it, because last night, I had a dream."

"What kind of dream?"

"The prophetic kind," Nia said. "Kara is going to go somewhere, and Lena is going to go with her. I don't know where, but I know they're going soon, and I saw two possible futures. In one future, you don't go with them. In that future, something horrible happens. The details are vague, but I saw Kara trapped in a crystal cage filled with green light. She was weak, and crying, and she felt so much pain, like her skin was being seared off her bones, and there were nails running through her blood. And that was just the beginning. I saw a war between her and someone. A figure I could never quite see, but someone who knew everyone about Kara, every way to hurt her. In the other future, you do go with them. I don't know what you do, or what you change, but in that future, there's no war. No crystal cage, no green light, no searing pain, no nails in her veins."

"Can you see any other details?" Maggie asked.

"I see them on a plane. A small private jet, I think. There's a military installation. A green stone. Kryptonite, I think. A room with burning walls. And Eve Tessmacher. That's all I could see."

"Thanks for the warning," Maggie said.

"Of course," Nia said. She started to get up, but she stopped and sat back down. Maggie could see the hesitation on her face, but Maggie watched as she screwed up her courage.

"Something else?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah. Look, I know you don't want to talk about it, and I know things are complicated because Alex doesn't have all her memories, so she doesn't know Kara is Supergirl. But when this is over and Alex gets her memories back, I think you should tell her the truth."

"Is that more advice from a dream?"

"It's advice from someone who may never speak to one of the people she loves most in the world because of a lie. I don't want to see that happen to Kara, or to you."

"I'll think about it," Maggie said. It was true. She'd think about it. She'd fantasize about it. She'd dream of it. She's just never actually do it.

"Good." Nia stood up. "I should get back to work," she said as she headed for the door.

"Nia," Maggie said.

Nia stopped and looked back at her. "Yes?"

"Thank you. For caring about Kara, and about me."

"You're family," Nia said.

Maggie watched her go, wondering how the hell that happened.

* * *

"I hope you don't mind Big Belly Burger again," Kara said as she walked into James's office.

"I'm pretty sure they'd take my badge if I did," Maggie said. "I mean, if I still had it."

"I got you the Carolina special," Kara said. "I figured you might want something different."

"Please tell me you got me a slice of the Red Velvet cake?"

Kara smiled. "Of course."

Maggie took the bag and started pulling out her food. "Did you find anything at AmerTek?"

"Something," Kara said as she sat down next to Maggie. "I'm not sure what, but it's definitely something."

"Well, that's vague."

"Someone named Sebastian Melmoth bought a missile base in some place called Rubniu, which would be helpful, if I knew who Sebastian Melmoth was, or where Rubniu is," Kara said.

Maggie pulled out her phone and plugged 'Sebastian Melmoth' into google. "Well, unless Oscar Wilde is investing in Communist Block military installations, I've got nothing on Melmoth."

"Oscar Wilde?" Kara asked.

"He apparently traveled under the name after getting out of prison," Maggie said as she googled Rubniu.

"Anything on Rubniu?" Kara asked.

"Um… Nothing useful, other than a life lesson in why safe search exists," Maggie said, giving a small shudder.

"Porn hub, or Hentia?" Kara asked.

"Both," Maggie said, a little surprised Kara knew what either of those things were.

"Oh, both is never a good answer when that's the question," Kara said.

"When this is over, remind me to get you to throw this phone into the sun," Maggie said as she closed the browser and tucked the phone into her pocket. "Melmoth sounds familiar though."

"You a big Oscar Wilde fan?"

"I was more into Emily Dickenson," Maggie said.

"I'm shocked," Kara said. "This is my shocked face."

Maggie laughed and shook her head. "Look, I was gay and filled with teenage angst."

Kara gave Maggie a look she hadn't seen before, and she raised her index and middle fingers, waggling them a little. "Which one was 'teenage', and which one was 'angst'?"

"KARA!"

"What? I've read those poems. Or are you telling me you don't know what she's talking about in 'I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed'?"

Maggie sputtered for a moment, before she broke down laughing, because even at fifteen, she'd known exactly what Emily Dickenson had been talking about. Kara just sat there, giving her a beatific smile.

"You looked like you could use a good laugh," Kara said when Maggie finally caught her breath again.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "I had a chat with Nia."

"What about?" Kara asked.

"She said she had a dream about you going somewhere with Lena, and that I needed to go with you," Maggie said.

"Where would I go with Lena?" Kara asked.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say Rubniu."

"Well, first we'd have to know where Rubniu is," Kara said.

"Maybe Lena knows," Maggie said. "Hell, maybe she knows who Sebastian Melmoth is for that matter. Don't all those executive types have fancy parties where they wear clothes that cost more than we make in a year and spend the whole time looking down on us normal people together?"

"It's less about looking down on normal people, and more about gossiping about who's cheating on who with who this year," Kara said. "Also, occasionally about having sex in the bathroom or a spare office in the venue."

"Really?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah," Kara said. "One of the disadvantages of super hearing. I know things I never wanted to know."

"Anything juicy?" Maggie asked.

"Maxwell Lord is bisexual and has a daddy kink," Kara said.

"Oh, God, why did I ask?"

"I don't know, but I did warn you," Kara said.

"Yes, you did."

"But you do have a good point. Maybe if we can figure out how Lena is connected to all of this, we can figure out where Rubniu is."

"Easier said that done. In all of this, the only thing I've seen from LCorp is that… Oh, shit!" Maggie said. She stood up and started looking through the files scattered on the desk.

"What is it?" Kara asked.

"The Black Budget from LCorp," Maggie said. "Can you find it?"

Kara stood up and started going through the files at superspeed. "Here!" she said.

"Check it for Melmoth's name," Maggie said.

Kara flipped open the file and looked at it for a moment. "Here it is," she said. " withdrew 5.8 Billion dollars from LCorp on October 10th. The same day AmerTek bought the missile base in Rubniu."

"Well, there's our connection to Lena," Maggie said.

"I guess we're going to LCorp," Kara said.

* * *

"Hello?" Kara called as they stepped into Lena's office.

"Kara? Maggie? What a surprise," as she came into the office from the balcony and headed over to the bar.

"Your new assistant let us in," Maggie said.

"She seems nice," Kara added.

Lena picked up a decanter and started pouring herself a drink. "Let's hope she doesn't stab me in the back."

"Lena, I'm… I'm so sorry about what Eve did to you," Kara said.

"Thanks."

"It's actually why we're here. Uh I'm writing an article about Lex. I wanna expose him. I want to take him down and put an end to all of this," Kara said.

Lena stiffened for a moment, and her whole demeaner shifted as she turned towards Kara. Something about it got Maggie's hackles up, and she had to stop herself from stepping in front of Kara.

"An expose on Lex. That's quite an Everest."

Maggie frowned at Lena's tone. She watched as Lena headed over towards the couch.

"What about you, detective?" Lena asked as she sat down. "Why are you here?"

"Supergirl's laying low, but she's worried about Lex going after the people who have a public connection to her. You've got an army of corporate security. Cat Grant's got enough private security at her lobbying firm to conquer Markovia. Alex has the whole DEO. J'onn is nowhere to be found. Dreamer is a superhero in her own right. With James here, Kara's the most exposed of all the people with a public connection to Supergirl. Since I'm still suspended from the NCPD, I'm playing bodyguard, and I'm helping her with her investigation."

"I see," Lena said.

"Uh, there was actually something we were hoping you could answer. Has L-Corp done business with AmerTek? Maybe on a military project?" Kara asked

"No, of course not," Lena said in a dismissing tone, with a fake little laugh, and Maggie had to bite her tongue to keep from telling Lena she was lying right to her face.

Lena picked up a tablet and started fiddling with it. "Look, I'm sorry I can't help you with this right now. I'm… I'm trying to help James."

Lena sat the tablet down on the table, and her body language shifted again, and Maggie knew what has going to happen next. Lena was about to go on the attack.

"You know, Alex is here. You haven't been around. Supergirl's been there for me. Person who judges me on the very premise of my last name but my best friend hasn't."

"Lena, I'm... I'm sorry," Kara said.

"Supergirl doesn't judge you because of your name," Maggie said, cutting Kara off.

"What?" Lena asked as she turned towards Maggie.

"She doesn't. She's defended you when she had every reason to believe you were guilty as sin. I had you on fucking video holding a Kryptonite heart, and she was ready to clean my clock for arresting you."

"That was two years ago," Lena said. "You've missed a few things."

"You mean the part where you were cooking Kryptonite in your basement lab?"

"Maggie," Kara said.

"Or the part where you lied about where you got the Kryptonite when you were caught with it? Or the part where you knew who Reign was and didn't tell anyone?

"Maggie!"

"Because from where I'm sitting, those are pretty good reasons to be less then entirely trustful where you're concerned."

"Maggie, STOP!"

"And the funny part is, she still won't hear a word against you."

"MAGGIE!"

"Like, right now, when I go back to her and tell her that you're lying to us-"

Lena was on her feet, a look of rage on her face. "GET OUT!"

"Fine," Maggie said. She turned to Kara. "Let's go."

Kara pointed at the door. "You go!"

Maggie shrugged and headed for the door.

* * *

Kara watched as Maggie strolled out of the office like she didn't have a care in the world, and she had to fight down the anger she felt. How could Maggie do that?

"You should go too," Lena said.

Kara turned around to see Lena standing there, her face cold, impassive, and she wanted to scream in frustration.

"Lena, I'm sorry," Kara said. "I never would have brought Maggie here if I had known she was going to do that."

"No, you just came here to pump me for information about your story."

"No, it's not like that," Kara said. "You know care about you. That's why I'm doing this. I'm trying to catch Lex so you're safe. So everyone is safe."

"I want you to leave," Lena said.

Kara stared at Lena for a moment, reading her body language, the particular set of her shoulders, the way she crossed her arms in front of her, and Kara suddenly felt tired. She didn't have the energy that it would take to placate Lena when she was like this, and she didn't have the time. They were supposed to meet Lucy back at the apartment in less than an hour.

"If you need me, call," Kara said. Then she turned and left.

* * *

"What was that about?" Kara asked as soon as the elevator door closed.

"Good cop, bad cop," Maggie said, bracing herself for the argument she was sure was coming.

"Lena's not the bad guy," Kara said, but there was something about the way that she said it that was off. A small tremor in her voice that made Maggie looked over at her. She could see the anger she'd expected in Kara's expression, but there was something else there, too. Fear. As soon as she saw it, something clicked for her. Kara had sensed the lie too. She just didn't want to believe it, because she loved Lena, and she didn't want to believe her friend would lie to her about something like this.

"Kara, when we walked into the room, Lena was upset about something, and she was surprised to see us. But when you told her you were working on a story about Lex, she panicked. It was subtle. She's good at hiding her fear. But for a moment, she panicked. Then she got defensive. And then, she decided to attack. That bit about you not being there for her. That was her trying to deflect attention away from the reason we were really there. She's hiding something. I don't know what, but I don't think it's about AmerTek. Something else is off."

"Maggie, we've been through this before. Lena is a good person. She's not the bad guy. She wouldn't lie to me."

"Really? Because you told me yourself that she lied about the Kryptonite and she lied about the Harun-El."

"That was to Supergirl," Kara said.

"Look, Kara, if I'm wrong, I'll apologize. I promise. But, if I'm right, I gave her a reason to come to you. She knows I know she's lying, and she knows that I'm going to try to find out what she's lying about. But she knows you trust her. She knows you care about her. She knows you would do anything for her. Give it a day or two, and she'll come to you. She'll tell you whatever it is she's lying about."

Maggie tapped her chest. "Bad cop." She reached over and tapped Kara's chest. "Good cop. It's cliché, but it works."

"I wished you hadn't done that," Kara said, and the hurt in her voice took all the fight out of Maggie. She swallowed all the arguments she'd had ready, and just nodded in acknowledgement.

"I know," Maggie said. "I won't apologize for doing it, because I'm not sorry I did it."

"You really think she's lying?" Kara asked.

"Yeah, I do."

Kara turned and faced the elevator down, so Maggie did the same. They road down a few more floors in silence, but then Maggie felt Kara's hand slip into hers, threading their fingers together.

"I don't want to be mad at you," Kara said.

"I know, and I don't want you to be mad at me."

"If I am, will you still stay with me tonight?" Kara asked.

"If that's what you want," Maggie said.

"Please," Kara said.

Maggie glanced over and saw the tears brimming in Kara's eyes. Kara turned to look at her and the tears started to spill down her face. Maggie pulled her into a hug. She didn't let go until the elevator doors opened.

* * *

The ride back to Kara's apartment was weird. Kara clung to her a little more tightly than was entirely comfortable, and Maggie wanted to comfort her, but she didn't know how since she was one of the reasons Kara was hurting. She wanted to turn the bike around and go back to confront Lena and beat the truth out of her, but that would just make things worse.

Kara cared for Lena, loved her, and knowing that Lena was lying to her had to hurt. The fact that Kara had to lie to Lena on a regular basis in order to keep her secret probably didn't help. Kara wasn't always the best at seeing nuance where people she cared about were concerned. It wasn't that she was naïve, it was just that she didn't seem to get that it was possible to care about someone who was a complete dumpster fire of a person, and Lena was an absolute mess.

Maggie thought Kara was right not to trust Lena with the big secret. She'd learned early on to steer conversations with Lena away from any topic related to aliens for the sake of her own blood pressure. The woman was xenophobic in the same way that people who say things like, 'I don't mind gay people as long as they don't shove it down my throat' were homophobic, and she'd always wondered why Kara put up with it. She wondered if Kara thought she could fix Lena, the way she'd been trying to fix Mon-El.

In the end, Kara's motives didn't really matter. What mattered was that she cared about her friend, and Maggie had hurt her by attacking her friend. Maggie had expected her to be mad, to be furious, to yell and scream and walk away. She hadn't expected how soft Kara's anger was. She hasn't expected the silent tears and the plea to stay with her, even if she was angry. She hadn't expected the sick knot of guilt slowly growing in her stomach.

She was right. She knew she was. Lena was lying, and it was plain as day. She's needed to push so they could get the truth out of Lena and get to the bottom of whatever it was Lex was up to. She was right, and the longer the ride took, the less that mattered. By the time she pulled the bike into one of the empty parking spots outside Hammersmith Tower, being right didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was that she'd hurt Kara.

They both climbed off the bike and headed inside. Maggie felt her stomach churning the whole way. Guilt gnawed at her every time she glanced over and saw the pain on Kara's face, and she hated herself for putting it there. They rode up to the fourth floor in silence, and Maggie followed Kara down the hall to her apartment.

"I'm sorry," Maggie said as Kara fished her keys out of her pocket. The words surprised both of them, and Kara turned towards her.

"What?" Kara asked.

"I'm sorry for what I did," Maggie said.

"You said before that you weren't."

"I was wrong. Kara, I… I still think she was lying, but I shouldn't have done that. I know Lena's your friend, and I should have respected that. I should have found another way to deal with it. I shouldn't have hurt you, and I'm sorry."

"You really mean that?" Kara asked.

Maggie took Kara's hand, and pressed it to her chest. "Alex said you can tell when someone is lying by changes in their heart rate."

Kara nodded.

"I'm sorry," Maggie said. "I don't like Lena. I never have. I don't like the way she treats you. I think she's xenophobic, and it puts me on edge. And god help me, I'm more than a little jealous, because I know she could give you things I will never be able to give you. But I shouldn't have done that. I acted like a cop, when I should have acted like your friend. I hurt you, and I'm sorry, and I can stand here and give you a dozen reasons why I was right, but none of it means a damn, because you're hurting and I did it and I'm sorry. Please, believe me, Kara. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She stood there, looking at Kara, waiting for a response, but for a long time, for what seemed like forever, Kara just stared at her. Maggie felt like she was going to cry, because she couldn't stand the idea of Kara being mad at her, but then Kara did move. She shifted her hand, sliding it over Maggie's breast and around her side. She pulled Maggie forward, and kissed her.

It felt so much like there first kiss, surprising and inevitable. Kara's soft lips, the sweet, tart taste of her mouth. The feeling of peace and stillness and home as Kara's arms wrapped around her. The way Maggie never wanted it to end. Something changed, though, and the kiss went from soft and tender to desperate and needy. Kara slid her hands down, cupping and squeezing Maggie's ass as she backed her against the wall. Maggie moaned into Kara's mouth, and that only seemed to make both of them more desperate. Kara reached down further, hooking her hands under Maggie's thighs and lifting her up. Maggie wrapped her legs around Kara's waist and she felt Kara rock her hips. She wondered for a moment if Kara was about to fuck her right there in the hallway, but when Kara rocked her hips again, Maggie decided that she didn't care if they fucked in the middle of CatCo plaza with the cameras rolling, and long as Kara never let go of her.

"Damn, Kara! Get it, girl."

Both of them froze for a moment before Kara pulled away. Maggie couldn't stop the small whimper of protest, and she heard a laugh. She looked over to see Susan Vasquez standing next to a slightly shorter woman who was, by any measure, absolutely gorgeous.

"Hey, Lucy. Hey, Susan," Kara said.

"Ma'am," Susan said in a perfectly neutral tone.

Lucy, on the other hand, was grinning like a mad woman. "You know, when you said you had a friend who was in trouble, I was thinking more of Winn getting busted for hacking. Not you and your girlfriend getting busted for public indecency."

Maggie uncrossed her ankles, and Kara took it as a hint to set her down. Once she had her feet under her, she reluctantly let go of Kara. Kara stepped back and turned towards Lucy and Susan.

"Lucy, this is Maggie Sawyer."

The amused look on Lucy's face vanished, replaced by a carefully schooled neutrality that made it clear that she knew exactly who Maggie was. "I see," Lucy said.

"We should go inside," Maggie said.

"Yeah," Kara said. "That's probably a good idea."

Kara opened the door, and the four of them headed into the apartment. Maggie could feel the tension radiating off of Susan and Lucy. She wanted to say something to smooth things over, but she didn't know how to start that conversation. She might have managed some semblance of it with Susan since they knew each other, but all she knew about Lucy Lane was that she'd dated James, that Kara and Alex both liked her, she had started dating Susan after she and James broke up, and that Susan had moved to DC so they could be together.

"Have you eaten?" Kara asked. "We could order pizza or Chinese or something."

"Pizza's fine," Lucy said.

"Pepperoni, green olive and feta, right?" Kara asked.

"Sure."

"Susan, I'm ordering from Twin Cities. You want the meat market deep dish?"

"I'm fine with whatever you order, ma'am," Susan said.

"Right," Kara said, before turning towards Maggie. "Your usual?"

Maggie nodded, but kept her focus on Lucy and Susan who'd taken the two armchairs in the living room. She reached up and gave Kara's shoulders a quick rub.

"It will be okay," Maggie said.

Kara gave her an uncertain look before she unlocked her phone and pulled up DoorDash. Maggie left her to it and sat down on the couch. Susan was glaring at her, which made sense, but she wasn't at all sure what to make of the expression on Lucy's face.

"So, I'm guessing you're the friend that needs help," Lucy said.

"Yeah," Maggie said.

"What kind of trouble are you in?" Lucy asked.

"That's a long story," Maggie said. "The short version is, I'm a cop, and Internal Affairs thinks that I'm sleeping with Supergirl, and that I know her secret identity."

"So, the truth then," Lucy said.

"Except for the part when I'm sleeping with Supergirl, yes," Maggie said.

"So, if you're not sleeping with her, then what did we see out there in the hall?" Lucy asked.

Maggie closed her eyes, trying to steady herself. She could hear the anger and the accusation in Lucy's voice.

"That was my fault," Kara said as she sat down next to Maggie.

"Yeah, the dry humping looked totally one sided," Lucy said.

"Lucy…" Kara said.

"Damn it, Kara! Have you ever even considered not using your friends and family's boyfriends and girlfriends as your own personal dating pool?"

"Lucy!" Susan snapped.

Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she said. "That was uncalled for."

"You know, I think maybe I should find a different lawyer," Maggie said.

Kara shook her head. "No, Maggie-"

"I don't want to fight with another one of your friends tonight," Maggie said.

"I don't want you too, but Lucy is the best lawyer you can get, and she knows, which will help her do a better job," Kara said.

"Kara's right," Lucy said. "I'm one of the best criminal defense attorneys the JAG office ever produced, and the fact that I know Kara is Supergirl will be an enormous help."

Maggie bit down on the impulse to ask if being a judgmental bitch would help too. Kara sat down next to her, and took her hand, lacing their fingers together, and rubbing her thumb long the side of Maggie's hand. Maggie closed her eyes, focusing on the soft touch, and the feel of Kara's hand in hers.

"I'm sorry," Kara said.

Maggie opened her eyes and looked at Kara. "What for?"

"You're hurting. Something I did made it worse, and I don't know how to help," Kara said.

"You haven't got anything to apologize for," Maggie said. "I'm sorry about earlier."

"I know," Kara said. "You said it in the hallway, and I believe you. I forgive you."

"Ma'ams," Susan said.

Maggie reluctantly turned away from Kara and looked at Susan. "What?"

"We're kind of coming in half way through here, and I've got to admit, I didn't like what I saw in the hallway any more than Lucy did, though my less flattering thoughts were directed more towards Maggie than Kara, because honestly, fucking your ex-girlfriend's little sister is not on anyone's list of things that are okay, and whether or not you've slept with her before, I don't think anyone here believes what was happing out in the hall was leading up to a firm handshake and a friendly goodnight."

Maggie looked over at Kara. "Do you want to tell it, or should I?"

"Could you?" Kara asked. "I don't think I could get through it all."

Maggie nodded. "Okay. But if you need me to stop…"

"I'll ask."

Maggie turned back to Lucy and Susan.

"It started right after Thanksgiving," Maggie said. "Science Division got a tip on the Children of Liberty stockpiling the Infrared masks they used in the Thanksgiving Day terror attacks on the aliens in the city. We went to check it out and walked into their freaking armory. They had serious hardware. I caught a bullet in the arm and had a couple of guys down with center of mass hits. Then Kara showed up and saved our asses. After it was all over, Kara and I talked while she cleaned and bandaged my arm. I was honestly a bit of a bitch-"

"No, you weren't," Kara said.

"I was a bit of a bitch, and Kara is going to be quite while I tell the story."

"Fine," Kara huffed.

"Anyway. Even though I was a bitch, Kara told me if I never needed her, I could just call. Then the shit on Shelley Island happened, and I was on medical leave while my arm healed, so I texted Kara to check on her, and she seemed upset, so I asked if she wanted someone to talk to about it. We met up, and we talked for a while, and it happened a few more times. After she got fired from the DEO, after she got back from vacation. It was nice, having someone I could be honest with, someone I didn't have to keep secrets from.

"Then Colonel Haley started trying to find out Supergirl's secret identity, and shit went downhill fast. J'onn had to wipe the knowledge that Kara was Supergirl from Alex's memory."

"What?" Susan asked. "Please tell me I heard that wrong."

"You didn't," Maggie said. "Haley brought in a truth seeker, and Alex and the other five agents left at the DEO who knew that Kara is Supergirl all agreed to have their minds wiped of the information. After it happened, I found Kara in Al's bar halfway through a bottle of something that could actually affect her. She wouldn't let me stay unless I drank, so I did. When the bar closed, Kara didn't want to go home, so I took her back to my place. We slept in the same bed. There was cuddling, and an awkward morning once we were both sobered up, but it wasn't that big a deal.

"Then Alex threatened to arrest Supergirl, and Kara called me because she didn't want to be along, so I spent the night here. It went on like that for a little while longer. Kara calling when she was having a bad time, me coming over to comfort her. I'm not going to lie. I liked it. I liked being the person she turned to. It made me feel like I mattered to someone.

"Then James got shot, and everything just kind of went straight to hell. Lex escaped and…"

Maggie stopped and closed her eyes, suddenly not able to talk past the lump in her throat as memories of watching Lex slam that globe down on Kara filled her mind.

"It's okay," Kara said. "I'm here. I'm safe."

Maggie nodded, but it took a minute before she could swallow the lump in her throat and start talking again. "The night after Lena healed James, Kara stayed with me. We had breakfast together before she headed back to the hospital to visit James. I walked into the bullpen at work and Debbie, one of my friends, noticed I was smiling. She decided it must mean that I had a girlfriend, which I suppose was closer to the mark that I realized at the time. I told her that I had breakfast with a friend, but she wouldn't leave it alone, so I finally told her I was in such a good mood because Supergirl has spent the night.

"No one believed it. It's was obviously bullshit intended to get her to leave me along. Except that was the morning that Lex escaped, and I watched them fighting on the CatCo news feed. I watched Kara die. Or at least, I thought I did. When Lex hit her with the Kryptonite laser, and then smashed the Globe from the Daily Planet down on her, I thought she was dead, and I had a pretty violent reaction. I spent half an hour in the bathroom puking my guts out.

"When I found out she was alive I texted her. I told her I needed to see her. When she got there I just… I don't even remember what happened, except I kissed her."

"I kissed you," Kara said.

"I mean the first time. I kissed you."

"No, I kissed you the first time," Kara said. "I remember. That's why I ran out the night James got shot. We were talking and you said you were nobody, and I started telling you how amazing you are, and half way through it, I realized that I wanted to kiss you."

"That's why you left that way?"

"Yeah," Kara said. "I just, I realized I was about to kiss you, and I panicked, so I left. And then, after the fight with Lex, you were looking at me and you were touching my face, and I couldn't take it anymore and I just leaned down and kissed you.

"But that's not what happened," Maggie said. "I was looking at you and I was holding your face and I couldn't breath and I just pulled you down and kissed you."

"Look," Susan said, "you kissed, we got the point. Can we move on before I get cavities?"

"Right," Maggie said. "Um… So, Alex called to let Kara know that Lex had escaped, because she was worried that Lex might target Kara because she'd interviewed Supergirl, and Kara left to go look for Lex. The next morning, she gave me a signal watch in case I needed to reach her, and she introduced me to Dreamer, just in case."

"Who's Dreamer?" Lucy asked.

"She's another Superhero," Kara said. "She's Naltorian. She helped me catch Lockwood the first time, and we've been working together ever since."

"Kara spent the day working with Lena and Alex to track Eve Tessmacher. She used to be Lena's assistant, but she'd been working for Lex Luthor for years, and she's the one who stole Lena's research and gave it to Lex. They found a connection between Eve, Lex and Ben Lockwood, and Kara went to Washington to question Lockwood, except Eve ambushed her with Kryptonite and put her out of commission while the fake Supergirl attacked the White House."

"That's when things started getting messy. I hadn't heard about the attack, but dispatch called me and asked me to come back to HQ. Someone had dropped a dime on me to Internal Affairs. They knew about what I'd said about Supergirl spending the night at my place, and they knew how I reacted when I thought she was dead. They assumed that I was telling the truth about sleeping with Supergirl, and that I knew her secret identity and how to contact her."

"Did you answer any questions?" Lucy asked.

"A few. A told them I considered Supergirl a friend, that she wasn't behind the attacks, that I didn't know her secret identity, and that the story about Supergirl spending the night at my place was bullshit to get an annoying coworker off my back. They accused me of lying so I asked for a lawyer and a union rep and shut the fuck up."

"What happened next?"

"They took my badge and gun and put me on paid leave. A team followed me home. Kara had promised to check in after her trip to Washington. I sent her a carefully worded text to let her know I was being watched, and Kara Danvers needed to show up, not Supergirl. Kara came to see me. While we were together, she got a signal from Alex's signal watch, so we went to meet her. I figured if Alex was planning on arresting her, I might be able to talk her down, but Alex and Lena both said they knew it wasn't Supergirl. We spent some time talking to them about how to move forward, then Kara and I went back to my place and spent the night there.

"The next night, Lena told us she had a lead on Lex, that the Warden at Stryker's Island had been letting him come and go as he pleased for months. She also gave me an encrypted cell phone so I could communicate with her and Alex securely. The next day, Kara and Lena went to Stryker's, while Alex went to work, and I waited. Kara figured Lena would be able to buy her way out of any trouble, but if I got ID'd I'd end up in jail. Alex called me and asked to meet. She let me know that Colonel Haley had taken the signal watch, and Ben Lockwood had ordered her to summon Supergirl so he could ambush her.

"I made a show of dropping my regular phone in the middle of the street where the IA tale could see it, then I ditched the tale and found a spot where I could use the secure phone to warn Kara without being seen using it. Debbie showed up a little while later, wearing a wire."

"How do you know she was wearing a wire?" Lucy asked.

"She deliberately profiled it as she sat down," Maggie said.

"What did they get on the wire?" Lucy asked.

"Mostly the truth. Kara's a reporter for CatCo. I ran into her on the job. She used to date James, she's used Supergirl as a source, and she's friendly with some aliens, so when the shit at Shelley Island happened, I called her because I knew she'd be upset. We started talking. Kara's going through some family shit, so she needed someone who wasn't in the middle of it to talk to. Sometimes we spend the night together. When I was consulting for the 'FBI' Supergirl had a boyfriend, but he left Earth not long after the Daxamite invasion. I might have implied that it was because Supergirl found out he had a wife. I might also have suggested that if they wanted to get in touch with Supergirl, they should put Cat Grant in the park under a cardboard box propped up with a stick."

Lucy and Susan both laughed out loud. Maggie looked over at Kara, who was glaring at her.

"What? It worked when Livewire and Silver Banshee did it."

"She's got you there," Lucy said.

"There was no cardboard box," Kara said with the cutest little pout on her face, and Maggie had to stop herself from leaning over and kissing her.

"Moving along," Lucy said,

Maggie turned back to Lucy, and judging by the look on Lucy's face, what she was thinking about must have been a little too obvious.

"After the conversation with Debbie, I ditched the tale again, and I went to LCorp to meet with Lena, Kara and Alex. Kara decided that night to stop being Supergirl until we'd cleared her name, and since that night, I've been working with her at CatCo, helping her investigate Lex, and I've been staying here."

"Okay," Lucy said. "Anything else I should know?"

"Well, Dreamer can see the future, and she said that Kara and Lena are going somewhere in the near future, and if I don't go with them, it will lead to a war, so keeping me out of jail would be a really good thing. There's also the part where Alex keeps trying to set me up with Supergirl, which is pissing me off a little bit. Oh, and the State's Attorney is preparing charges against me for obstruction."

"Why were you to making out in the hallway?" Susan asked.

Maggie looked over at Kara, who gave her a small nod. "We had a fight earlier tonight," Maggie said. "We found something that pointed to a connection between Lex and LCorp, so we went to ask Lena about it. Lena lied to us about it, and I called her on it, and she threw me out of her office. Kara didn't like the way I handled it, and I apologized, and Kara kissed me, and I don't know. I mean, we both know this can't happen, and we hadn't actually kissed since Friday night when Alex nearly caught us together, but I'm not going to pretend it's been easy. We're basically living together, we're sleeping in the same bed, and we both just got caught in the moment."

"How did you find out that the State's Attorney is prepping charges?" Lucy asked.

"My Lieutenant called me today and asked me to come in and talk to Internal Affairs again. When I said no, he told me I needed to reconsider because the SA is preparing charges."

Lucy closed her eyes for a minute and shook her head. "Jesus Fucking Christ, what a fucking shit show," she said.

"Can you help?" Kara asked.

"Yeah," Lucy said. "I can call in a few favors. Getting the charges tossed shouldn't be any problem if they have no proof that you know Supergirl's secret identity. Getting your badge back… That's going to be trickier."

"I don't give a damn about the badge. Just keep me out of jail," Maggie said.

"No. Maggie, you love being a cop," Kara said.

"I do," Maggie said, "But if I have to chose between you and my badge, it's not a choice at all."

"Don't fall on your sword just yet. I said it would be tricky, not that I couldn't do it."

"Thank you," Kara said.

Lucy nodded. "Look, Kara… About what I said earlier. Susan's right. That was out of line. I know what happened with James wasn't your fault. James has issues, something I'm guessing you figured out pretty fast, given how quickly the two of you split up. It doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt and finding out who Maggie was just brought up some unpleasant memories."

"It's okay," Kara said.

"No, it's not," Lucy said. "Kara, I know how you felt about James, and I know how hard you tried to keep from getting in the way of my and James's relationship."

"Anger isn't always rational," Kara said. "I understand that better than most people."

"Yeah, I suppose you do," Lucy said. "I should be thanking you though." She reached over and took Susan's hand. "I mean, you helped me trade up in a serious way."

Maggie sat there for a moment not quite sure she believed her eyes as she watched a blush creep up Susan's cheeks.

"I'm happy for the both of you," Kara said.

"Thank you," Susan said.

"How's Cat?" Kara asked. "Does she think…?"

"No," Lucy said. "Of course not. None of us do. Hell, even my dad doesn't believe you did this. Right after it happened, Cat told everyone who works for her that if they believed, even for a second, that Supergirl was responsible, they could find new jobs. She's been knocking on every door in Washington trying to figure out how the Alien Amnesty Repeal happened in the first place. It was a dead letter that morning, and by the evening it was a done deal, and no one knows how it happened, but it given that the Senator who swung the vote is among the dead, the whole thing stinks to high heaven. Cat's been working under the assumption that Lex is behind it."

"She did ask us to get you to pass along a message to Supergirl," Susan said. "She said to tell Supergirl to remember what she said on the balcony during Myriad."

Maggie looked over at Kara, who had a huge smile on her face. She was about to ask what it meant when there was a knock at the door.

"Pizza!" Kara shouted as she got to her feet and headed towards the door.

* * *

It was just past midnight. Lucy and Susan had headed back to their hotel a little over an hour ago, and Maggie and Kara had gone to bed. It had been a long day, and they we both exhausted, but Maggie couldn't get to sleep, and judging from the fact that Kara was curled up against her side, failing miserably at pretending to be asleep, she was having the same problem.

"What's wrong?" Maggie asked.

"Do you think Lucy's right about me?" Kara asked.

"No," Maggie said.

Kara sighed. "Why am I like this? Why can I only seem to feel this way for people who don't want me, or who belong to someone else."

"I don't," Maggie said.

"What?"

"I don't belong to Alex. I never did. I would have, gladly. I would have walked down that isle, and I would have put that ring on, and I would have been proud to be hers. But she didn't want me. She never did."

"That's not true."

"It is," Maggie said. "I wish it wasn't, but it is. Alex fell in love with the idea of me without ever finding out who I am, and I did the same thing. I fell in love with who I thought Alex was, without finding out who she is. If we'd taken the time to get to know each other, we would have figured out we weren't going to work before we got engaged, before we planned a wedding. Something like whether or not you want to have kids is a pretty big conversation to not have."

Silence filled the room, stretching out for a long time, before Kara quietly asked, "Would you go back to her if she changed her mind?"

"No," Maggie said. "I still love her. I always will. But I'm not in love with her anymore."

"Do you think we've done the same thing?" Kara asked.

"No," Maggie said. "I think we did things the other way around. I think we got to know each other well enough that we couldn't help it, even knowing that we're going to get hurt."

Kara hugged her a little bit tighter. "I don't know if I can give this up," she said. "Knowing what it's like to feel this way."

"I know it will be hard," Maggie said, "but you can't lose Alex."

"We could talk to her," Kara said. "Tell her the truth. Maybe she would understand."

"Maybe she would," Maggie said. "But if we tell her and she doesn't understand, we can't take it back. She's your family, Kara."

"So are you," Kara said.

Maggie leaned down and pressed a kiss to Kara's forehead. "Go to sleep," she said. "We've got a big day tomorrow."

Maggie settled back onto the bed and closed her eyes as the silence stretched out.

"Maggie," Kara said.

"Yes?"

"I don't want kids," Kara said.

"What?"

"I don't want children," Kara said.

"Why not?" Maggie asked, afraid Kara was just saying what she knew Maggie wanted to hear.

"I grew up feeling like I didn't fit in, like I was always on the outside. Kal felt the same way. If I had children, they'd have to go through that too. They'd never really be human, but they'd never be Kryptonian either. They'd be trapped between two worlds. I couldn't do that to them."

Maggie reached up, cradling Kara's head as she leaned down and kissed her forehead again. "I'm sorry, /,kahrah,/."

"I just wanted you to know," Kara said.

* * *

March 26, 2019

Maggie leaned against the island in the middle of Kara's kitchen, watching as the coffee pot slowly filled with the same overpriced coffee they'd had every morning for the last week. While she watched, Maggie turned the conversation she'd had with Kara over in her mind. It was the same thing Nia had said to her. Talk to Alex about it once Alex's memories came back. Tell her the truth.

It was a seductive idea, because it offered the possibility of hope. The chance that she could have a future with Kara, or at least, that they could see if they could have a future. But it was also seductive because it reminded her of the conversation she'd had with Alex at the hospital, and of what she thought about after. She'd been so angry at Alex for going through with the mind wipe, but she'd also realized that if she'd been there at the time, she would have gone through with it too. She would have done what she believed was necessary to protect Kara, and she'd also realized it would have been wrong.

Was she making the same mistake as Alex had? Trying to protect Kara when it was more important to listen to her, to hear what she wanted?

"I don't think the coffee is going to talk."

Maggie smiled as she looked over at Kara who was standing there smiling at her.

"I was just thinking," Maggie said.

"I never would have known from the smoke pouring out of your ears."

"Brat," Maggie laughed.

"You love it," Kara said as filled a pair of mugs with coffee. "So what were you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about what we talked about last night," Maggie said as Kara passed her a mug.

"Which part?" Kara asked.

"The part about talking to Alex."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure we could tell her the whole truth, but she already knows that I've got feelings for Supergirl. I thought maybe, once she gets her memories back, I could just ask her if she would mind if I asked you out."

"She thinks I'm straight," Kara said.

"Well, I could disappear from your apartment long enough for you to have another sister night," Maggie said. "Maybe come out to your sister, so she knows that there's a chance you'll say yes."

"You think she would say yes?" Kara asked, and Maggie could hear the hope in her voice, could feel it radiating off of her.

"I don't know. But I hope so."

"Well," Kara said, holding out her mug. "Here's to hope."

"Here's to us," Maggie said.

"Here's to us."

Maggie started to raise her mug, but Kara leaned in and kissed her. It was soft and slow and gentle, not like the desperate, needy kisses the night before, but Maggie sat her mug on the counter and wrapped her arms around Kara, holding her tightly as the first kiss became the second became the third. Somewhere along the way she heard Kara set her mug on the counter too, and then she was wrapped in strong arms, and the thought went through her head that she could do this forever, that she could spend the rest of her life wrapped up in Kara and just be happy. She prayed to a god she hadn't believed in since she was fourteen that Alex would understand and that she would get to have this.

A sharp knock on the door broke them apart. Kara reached up and lifted her glasses out of the way to see who was at the door, and Maggie saw the frown spread across her face.

"Who is it?" Maggie asked.

"Cops," Kara said. "Two in plane clothes, two in uniform."

"Fuck," Maggie said as she pulled her secure cell phone out of her pocket and headed it to Kara. "Call Lucy. Let her know I've been arrested."

"Arrested?"

"Unless you think they're here for you," Maggie said as she headed towards the door. She opened the door and saw Russel and Williams, the two idiots from Internal Affairs, standing there with smug smiles on their faces. Bell and Douglas, two of the uniforms from Science Division were standing behind them. Bell had an apologetic look on her face, but Douglas had a neutral expression on his.

"Maggie Sawyer, you are under arrest for obstruction of justice, for aiding and abetting a known fugitive, and as an accessory after the first to twelve counts of murder, and one count of terrorism. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?" Williams said.

"Which station are you taking me to?" Maggie asked.

"Central booking, then headquarters," Williams said.

Maggie turned around. "Kara, call Lucy. Let her know where I am. Then go to work."

"But…"

"Go to work," Maggie said. "Lucy will take care of this. You have more important things to do."

"Okay," Kara said.

Maggie turned back to Williams and Russel. "Bell, search and cuff me. I have a Rugar LCP in an ankle holster on the outside of my right leg, two spare mags on my left leg, a folding knife in my back left pocket, a Taser strikelight, a snap baton and a push knife in holsters on my belt."

"Yes ma'am," Bell said.

* * *

Kara glanced up from the report she was reading as Nia walked into the office.

"Nia," she said, trying to force a smile onto her face. She gave up when she saw the dejected look Nia was wearing. "What is it?"

"Al's dive bar. He's been using it as a shelter for aliens and Lockwood's goons crashed it last night. I stopped them and got the aliens moved to the Kara House, but the people there still felt so hopeless. And I wanna do more to help them. I just don't know what else I can do."

"I know exactly how you feel. I've been so myopic I think I've made things worse. I made Franklin's sister more afraid, Lena hates me, and Maggie got arrested this morning.

"Arrested? What for?" Nia asked.

"Internal Affairs thinks she knows Supergirl's secret identity and that she's been helping her hide from the police."

"What are you going to do?" Nia asked.

"My friend Lucy is a lawyer. She flew in last night. She was planning on trying to get the State's Attorney to not file the charges, but the warrant was issued last night. I'm not even sure why they waited until this morning to arrest her. Lucy's at police headquarters right now, trying to get it straightened out, but if the State's Attorney won't drop the charges, I don't know what I'll do."

"God, this sucks. All of it. It's like Supergirl was the only thing holding back the fear, and now that everyone thinks she's a murderer, Lockwood has them convinced that all aliens are monsters. I wish we could do your Aliens of National City story with every alien. Then the humans would know that they don't need to be afraid of them."

"Nia! You and I have been so focused on fighting and reporting, that maybe… maybe we forgot the most important part of being a hero is inspiring hope."

"So, Supergirl's coming back?"

"The world doesn't need to hear from Supergirl right now. They need a hero who can speak to the conflict society is struggling with. Someone who is both alien and human. Someone who can bring them together."

"How?"

"I wanna interview you. An exclusive. I want to introduce the world to Dreamer."

"Now?" Nia asked.

"No. Tonight. We'll wait until everyone's gone home and then we'll do the interview. I have a device at my apartment that can override control of the airwaves so Lockwood and his people can't shut us out. We just need a camera man."

* * *

"You know, you really need to talk to us," Williams said.

Maggie stared across the table at him as if they hadn't already been playing this game for hours already. The idiot forgot that she knew the rules just as well as he did. Drag your heels in booking, delay the lawyer so you have time to sweat the suspect. Use long silences to intimidate. Maggie wanted to laugh at how textbook it all was, but she had better idea.

"Okay," Maggie said. "If you really think it will help."

"Just talk to us, Detective, and this can all go away," Williams said. "You can even go back to work."

She leaned forward and watched as he did the same. She waited for a moment, letting the anticipation build. She could see him picturing the commendation he would get for being the one who brought in Supergirl. She waited until he could taste it, then she said, "I am invoking my right to remain silent and I am invoking my right to an attorney."

His face twisted into a mask of fury and he slapped the table. "You think this is some kind of game, Sawyer? Do you know what they do to people who conspire with terrorists?"

Maggie gave him a beatific smile. "I am invoking my right to remain silent and I am invoking my right to an attorney."

"You are going to spend the rest of your life in a six by nine cell in super max. No visitors, no human contact. An hour a day outside."

"I am invoking my right to remain silent and I am invoking my right to an attorney."

"How do you think that hot little blonde girlfriend of yours is going to feel when she finds out she's nothing but a side piece while you're banging Supergirl?"

"I am invoking my right to remain silent and I am invoking my right to an attorney."

"She's not going to wait for you. Why would she? You're never getting out."

The door swung open at that moment, and Ben Lockwood stepped into the room. Williams looked over and immediately stood up.

"Mr. Secretary," Williams said.

"Easy, Detective," Lockwood said. "This is her?"

"Yes sir," Williams said.

"Give us the room, would you?" Lockwood said.

Williams, to his credit, hesitated for a moment. "Um, sir, that's not really procedure. I-"

"Give us the room, Detective!" Lockwood snapped.

"Yes, sir," Williams said. He scrambled for the door, and Maggie downgraded her estimate of him from idiot to cowardly idiot before turning her attention to Lockwood. She watched as he walked over to the chair where Williams has been sitting at a pace he probably thought made him look confident or intimidating. Maggie thought it made him look like someone who'd spent too much time watching action movies. He sat down and pulled his file towards her, making a show of looking it over.

"Margarita Elena Sawyer, born Margarita Elena Rodas on March 29th, 1987. Adopted by your aunt Juanita Sawyer when you were fourteen years old and lived with her until you went to college. Earned a degree in Criminal Justice from National City University in three years. Enrolled in the National City Police Academy immediately upon graduation. Made detective at the age of twenty-five after four years on the force. Did a year in homicide before transferring to the newly formed Science Division. Numerous citations for bravery and for excellent police work. Even a Presidential Medal of Freedom for your actions during the Daxamite invasion.

"On paper, you sound like a hero. Putting murderers behind bars, keeping the aliens in the city in check." He closed the file and looked up at her. "Of course, given that the President who gave you that medal was nothing but a roach, I shouldn't be too surprised to find out you're nothing but a roach lover yourself. See, word is, you spend all your time hanging out with them, helping them with their problems, helping them invade our world. And is if that isn't bad enough, actually fucking one of them. That's disgusting." Lockwood leaned forward. "Maybe we'll get the State's Attorney to add bestiality to the list of charges. It would make a good test case."

Maggie leaned forward and looked Lockwood right in the eye. She swallowed the urge to grab him by his greasy hair and break his face open on the table. Dealing with bigots was old hat for her, and she'd learned to control her temper, to let their words roll off her, long before she'd ever worn a badge.

"I am invoking my right to remain silent and I am invoking my right to an attorney."

Lockwood laughed. "Rights? Terrorists don't have rights. Roaches don't have rights. Collaborators don't have rights. This isn't an interrogation. I just wanted to look you in the eyes before I let my boys have you. They're going to make you talk. All the aliens you've helped, all the aliens you've hidden, and where your… girlfriend is. And if you're nice and cooperative, I might let you watch when I kill Supergirl."

For the first time since Lockwood walked into the room, Maggie felt fear. Lockwood was nothing more than a bully, but he was a bully with power. The resources he had access to, and the threats he was making were terrifying. Maggie knew she would do anything she could to protect Kara, but she also knew that the US government had professional torturers. They might call it 'enhanced interrogation' but that didn't change what it was. People broke under torture. People who were trained to resist, people who had every reason to resist. Given enough time, anyone would break. The human capacity for suffering was only so great. It might not even take that, though. Lockwood had access to the DEO's resources, which meant he had access to at least one truth seeker.

She didn't even want to think about the other, more stomach-churning implication of 'let my boys have you'. The man was a Nazi want to be, and she was a brown skinned lesbian who had, in his mind, been sullied by the enemy. Her mind shied away from where that might lead.

She was suddenly grateful they'd taken the signal watch when they booked her, because she was afraid that she'd call for help if she had it.

"Is that fear I see in your eyes, Detective?" Lockwood asked. He leaned forward. "You know, you can still make this all go away. Just tell me who Supergirl is."

Maggie leaned in and looked Lockwood right in the eyes. "I am invoking my right to remain silent and I am invoking my right to an attorney, you bigoted piece of shit."

"Hmmm… We'll see how-"

The door swung open and Lucy and Susan walked into the room.

"Get away from my client," Lucy said.

"Who the hell are you?" Lockwood asked.

"I'm Lucy Lane. I'm Detective Sawyer's attorney, and I'm here to take my client home."

"She's not going anywhere," Lockwood said.

Lucy sat her briefcase on the table and opened it up. "Actually, she is. You see, it turns out that judges really, really hate when people lie to them in order to get warrants. They hate it so much they dismiss charges with prejudice. They hate it so much they are perfectly willing to uphold a complaint against all of Internal Affairs, and against the FBI and the Department of Alien Affairs under Title 42. Now, I have already delivered a court order, and a signed order from the mayor, preventing Internal Affairs and the Science Division from continuing their investigation into Detective Sawyer, and the order is being delivered to the FBI field office as we speak, but this…" Lucy produced a sheet of paper out of her briefcase with a level of dramatic flair that Maggie never thought she's see outside of a TV show. "This is just for you."

Lockwood took the paper and looked down at it. "What is this?"

"It's a court order, preventing you, or any member of the Children of Liberty, from coming within 100 yards of my client, or her girlfriend. And…" Lucy held up a finger before reaching into her briefcase again, and pulling out another sheet of paper, "a letter from the office of General Lane of Army Intelligence telling you to stop harassing one of his assets."

Lockwood stood up. "You can't do this!"

"Can, and have," Lucy said. "Come on Maggie."

Maggie stood up, and Lockwood took a step towards Lucy.

"She's not going-"

His sentence was cut off by a scream of pain as Susan grabbed is arm, twisted it up behind him, and slammed his face down onto the interrogation room table.

"I'm going to have to ask you to respect Ms. Lane's personal space, Mr. Secretary," Susan said as blood started pooling under Lockwood's face.

"Did I forget to introduce you to my associate?" Lucy asked. "Careless of me. Come on, Maggie. Let's get out of here."

Maggie didn't hesitate.

* * *

"Sawyer!"

Maggie, Lucy and Susan were halfway across the bullpen when she heard her voice. She turned and saw Isaacs standing in the door of his office.

"You don't have too," Lucy said.

"It's okay. This shouldn't take long." Maggie said. She headed over to his office. He closed the door behind them and took a seat behind his desk.

"Sit down," he said.

Maggie dropped into one of the chairs in front of his desk. "What's this about, sir."

Isaacs opened his desk drawer and pulled out three large plastic bags and sat down on the desk in front of her.

"I signed your things out," Isaacs said. "Figured I'd save you the trip to the property locker."

Maggie looked and saw everything she'd had on her when she'd been booked. Her Ruger was in a separate bag from the rest of her things, and the third bag held her service weapon, a Gen 5 Glock 17.

"Nice gun," Isaacs said, pointing towards the Rugar.

Maggie laughed. "What? A girl can't like pink?"

"Just doesn't seem your style," Isaacs said.

"I'm full of surprises," Maggie said. "I don't see my badge."

Isaacs reached back into the draw and took out her badge. He sat it in front of her. "Whether you get that back is up to you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you told Debbie you wouldn't help us hunt down Supergirl. I can't have a detective who refuses to bring in a wanted criminal. Now, I know the whole thing about you sleeping with her and knowing her identity was bullshit. Anyone with half a brain could have figured that out, which probably explains why IA couldn't let it go. But if you want your badge back, I need you to tell me you'll get on board with hunting down Supergirl."

"I can't do that, sir," Maggie said.

"Sawyer, think carefully, because if you walk out of here without that badge, you are done. You won't ever wear it again. Chances are, you won't ever wear any badge again. You're done as a cop. Forever."

Maggie reached out and picked up the badge, feeling its weight in her hand. It was everything she'd worked for since before her father had kicked her out. Her entire life. Isaacs was asking her to choose been being a cop and Kara. It was a choice she'd faced before. Her job or a woman she'd cared about. In the past, it had always been an easy choice. The job always came first.

She pitched the badge across the room into his trashcan. It was time to make a better choice.

* * *

"Maggie!"

Kara was up and out of her chair the moment she saw Maggie, and Maggie braced herself for the impact of an excited Kryptonian. Kara wrapped her in a hug, and spun her around, and Maggie laughed, even though she knew she should warn Kara about such a blatant show of strength in the middle of James's office, which had about as much privacy as a fish bowl, but she was so relieved to have Kara's arms around her that she couldn't.

"I told you I'd take care of it," Lucy said.

Kara sat Maggie down, and she watched as Kara hugged Lucy, then Susan. Both of them laughed at the display of exuberance from Kara, and Maggie smiled a little wider. She hadn't seen Kara in this good a mood since before the mind wipe, and she could feel that something had changed.

"What's going on?" Maggie asked.

"I figured out a way to change the conversation!" Kara said, enthusiasm bubbling up even as she dropped her voice low enough so that no one outside of the office could hear them. "I'm going to interview Dreamer."

"Dreamer is that the hero who helped you bring in Lockwood?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," Kara said. "I think, if we can show the people what humans and aliens can come together, that they have more in common than they have differences, then they won't have to be afraid anymore. I think Dreamer's the perfect way to do that. She's half human, half alien, and I think that speaks more to what's going on that Supergirl ever could."

"I think that's a great idea," Lucy said.

"We're going to do the interview tonight. We'll broadcast it live during prime time."

A spike of fear ran through Maggie, as she pictured Lockwood storming the studio with weapons that could hurt or cripple Kara, weapons that could kill Nia. She glanced over at Lucy and Susan, and she could read it on their faces. The same hesitation and fear she felt.

"Kara, are you sure a live broadcast is the best idea?" Maggie asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"If you broadcast live, then Lockwood would know exactly where you are, and if Dreamer is on screen confessing to be an alien, he might come for her," Maggie said.

"We could tape it," Susan said. "Record it now and broadcast it during prime time. Post it on the CatCo servers, and the CatCo YouTube Channel at the same time it goes live. Then make sure you and Dreamer are nowhere near CatCo when the broadcast happens."

"That's a really good idea," Kara said. "We'll need a camera person though."

"I can do it," Susan said. "You go get in touch with Dreamer."

"Okay," Kara said.

* * *

It wasn't quite as simple as it sounded. They ended up pulling in Franklin and another tech to run a second and third camera, and they had to clear the bullpen because Kara wanted to do the interview there, but about an hour after Maggie arrived at CatCo, Kara sat across from Dreamer in front of the CatCo sign in the bullpen while Maggie stood back and watched.

"Good evening. This is Kara Danvers with CatCo Media and this is a worldwide exclusive. I'm here with the hero who has been fighting in the shadows. This is Dreamer."

Kara turned to Nia. "My first question Who are you?

"I'm Dreamer and I am a descendant of a daughter of Naltor."

"When did you come here from Naltor?"

"I didn't. I was born here in America. I grew up in a small town where humans and aliens lived together in harmony. My mother was Naltorian, but my father was a human."

"So you are both human and alien?"

"Yes. My parents believed that humans and aliens could co-exist. And I'm living proof of that. But growing up wasn't easy. I am also a trans woman. I'm different, Miss Danvers, but so is everybody. And I don't know when that became such a bad thing. The greatest gift we can give each other is our authentic selves and sharing that. Sharing our truth is what will make us strong.

"So, here I am. I am both human and alien. And I am a trans woman. S'mores are my favorite dessert, but I will always choose salty over sweet. I broke my nose when I was 15 during a game of kickball.

"My mother was my heart. And since I lost her, it's felt like a piece of me is missing. But my father is my spine.

"I'm a Gryffindor. Uh, my patronus is a dapple gray stallion. I am an INFP. Uh, a Miranda. House Stark. I love Thursdays and April, brave girls with kind hearts and nerdy boys who think too much, and I am proud of all that I am.

"You should be. Are you afraid of how the world will react to you now that they know you're an alien?" Maggie could hear the small break in Kara's voice as she said it, and it was like a vice around her own heart. She thought back to the conversation they'd had after the protest, about how Kara had spent so long hiding who she was, and about how Maggie had gone back into the closet after she moved in with her aunt. She knew the tremble was because of how long Kara had lived in terror of someone finding out she was an alien, and she knew the way people were judging her now must be adding to that fear and pain.

"Of course, but you know what else? Fear sucks. It sucks. And I am so sick of feeling hopeless. Dawn doesn't come unless we want it to. But we don't have to wait for a new day. We are the new day."

"Your mother would be so proud of you."

The interview ended there, and Maggie waited until the cameras were off before she stepped forward and pulled Kara into a hug.

"You were fantastic," she said before she let go of Kara, and turned to Nia. "You too."

"Do you think it will work?" Nia asked.

"I think it will help," Maggie said. "I think you just showed people that they don't have to be afraid of aliens. Showed them that it's not just Supergirl, Superman and a bunch of monsters. I don't think it will change the world overnight, but I think it's a good start. I think it will give people hope, and that's a hell of a thing."

* * *

"Thanks, Susan," Kara said. "See you tomorrow? Okay, bye."

Maggie watched as Kara ended the call and sat her phone on the bedside table.

"You were right," Kara said as she lay down and curled up against Maggie's side. "Lockwood showed up about ten minutes after the end of the broadcast with a bunch of Children of Liberty goods looking to arrest Dreamer."

"How'd that work out for them?"

"Not well," Kara said. "Lucy read them the riot act about freedom of speech and freedom of the press, and James showed up halfway through and lit into them too."

"James? I thought he was still at LCorp."

"Not anymore. According to Susan, James said he's stable."

"That's great," Maggie said.

"Yeah," Kara said. Maggie couldn't help but notice a small note of unhappiness in her voice.

"What's wrong?" Maggie asked.

"Nothing," Kara said. "I'm just wondering when you have to go back to work."

"I don't," Maggie said.

"But Lucy said the investigation was over. They can't keep you on suspension if you're not under investigation."

"I'm not suspended," Maggie said.

"But…" Kara looked up at her in confusion.

"I quit."

"What?" Kara asked. She sat up distress clearly written on her face. "Why would you quit? You love being a cop."

Maggie sat up so she could look Kara in the eyes. "I did, most days. Sometimes, I really hated it, because I knew that the people I arrested weren't going to get justice. Not really. But today, they told me the only way could have my badge back was if I promised to help hunt you down, and I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to promise to try to arrest someone I know beyond any doubt is innocent. Not when I know you'd never get a fair trial, if you got any trial at all."

"I'm sorry," Kara said.

"Don't be," Maggie said. "I promise you, however it goes when we're able to talk to Alex, I won't regret the choice I made today. If it's a choice between my job, and even the possibility of being with you, you win, every time."

"I didn't want you to have to choose at all," Kara said.

"I know," Maggie said. "But I did, and /,kahrah,/, I made the better choice."

Kara smiled at her, and Maggie didn't even think about it before she leaned in and kissed her.

* * *

March 27, 2019

"You're looking happy this morning," Nia said as she walked into James's office.

"I had a good night," Kara said.

"Any particular reason?" Nia asked.

Kara couldn't stop herself from smiling. She glanced towards the bullpen to make sure no one was in earshot before turning back to Nia. "Maggie and I spent half the night making out."

The squeal that came from Nia made Kara wish she didn't have super hearing, but she couldn't help but smile ever wider at the enthusiastic look on Nia's face.

"I totally need details," Nia said.

"We were getting ready for bed, and we were talking and she just leaned in and kissed me, and we just kind of kept kissing until Maggie was about to fall asleep."

"How was it? Was it good? I bet it was good."

"It was amazing," Kara said. "I mean, we've kissed before, but it was either when we were in a hurry, or we kept getting interrupted, and last night, it was just… I don't even know how to describe it. I mean, I've kissed people before, and I've even had a couple of relationships, but I don't know. Kissing Maggie feels different."

"Different how?" Nia asked.

"Like everything is still. Like the whole world just goes away, and I can be at peace. When I'm with Maggie, I feel seen. I feel like she wants all of me. Kara Danvers, and Supergirl, and all the messy places in between. She's the first person other than Alex who's ever made me feel like I belong."

"That sounds amazing," Nia said.

"It is," Kara said.

"Have you decided what to do about the Alex situation yet?" Nia asked.

"Maggie thinks I should come out to Alex now. Give her a little time to process that I'm pan. Then, once Alex has her memories back, Maggie's going to ask Alex if it's okay if she takes me out on a date."

"Are you sure that's the best plan?" Nia asked. "I mean, you're still kind of lying to her."

"I know," Kara said. "Maggie is really worried about Alex's reaction. She thinks we have to do it this way to protect me in case Alex gets upset."

"Is that what you want?" Nia asked.

"I just want to be with Maggie, and I want Alex to be okay with it," Kara said.

"Maybe this is my own experience with Maeve talking, but I think you should just tell her the truth. I don't know Alex well but from what you've told me she loves you and she wants you to be happy. If Maggie is what it takes for you to be happy, I think she'll find a way to be okay with it."

"I hope you're right about that last part," Kara said.

"So, where is your Ms. Wonderful, anyway?" Nia asked.

"She, Lucy and Susan ran out to pick up food. They should be back soon."

* * *

"Are you having any luck with those papers Franklin's sister gave us?" Maggie asked.

"Not really," Lucy said. "Everything points back to this Sebastian Melmoth."

Kara sighed. "Maybe I should try talking to Lena again."

Maggie looked at Kara, and bit down on what she wanted to say. She wasn't sure if they were okay where the subject of Lena was concerned. She hoped they were, but they hadn't really gotten the chance to resolved anything between the kissing and Lucy and Susan's arrival and the whole getting arrested thing, and the whole getting fired thing.

Kara seemed to pick up on her thoughts though, because she looked over at Maggie. "What do you think?"

"I think she'll come to you," Maggie said. "Just give it some time."

"Well, I can't speak to Lena Luthor," Susan said, "but I'm pretty sure Rubniu is some sort of cipher. I just haven't figured out which one. The problem is, even if I know the type of cipher, I'd need the key."

Maggie looked over at the murder board on the Window of James's office. "Maybe we could get Brainy to try and crack it for us."

"That's not a bad idea," Kara said. "I'll-"

"Kara…"

All four to them turned towards the door, where Lena was standing.

"Lena!" Kara said. "Are you okay?"

"Can I talk to you and Maggie for a bit?" Lena asked.

"Of course," Kara said.

"We'll just do another coffee run," Lucy said as she and Susan stood up.

"Thanks, guys," Kara said.

Maggie waited until Lucy and Susan were gone before turning to Lena. "Do you want to talk to Kara alone? I know things between us aren't great right now."

"No," Lena said. "You deserve to hear what I have to say."

"Why don't you sit down?" Kara asked.

Lena nodded and took the chair Lucy had just vacated. They waited for a moment, and Maggie could see that Lena was trying to work herself up to saying something, but the longer they waited, the more worried Maggie got.

"I'm sorry," Lena said. "This is difficult."

"It's okay," Kara said. "Take your time."

Lena nodded and took a deep breath. "Maggie was right. I've been lying. Eve wasn't the only one working with Lex. I… I was working with him too. He contacted me four months ago. He knew I had the Harun-El. He had cancer, and he was afraid to die. He's my brother. And in my heart, I knew he was manipulating me but I believed him and I helped him and he betrayed me. And I was weak, and I will never forgive myself for that."

Maggie felt torn as she watched Lena sit there, tears welling up in her eyes. She felt angry that Lena had been so stupid, that she'd helped Lex and put Kara in danger, but she understood too. If Kara, or Alex or Nia were sick, she would do anything to help them. Hell, even after everything that had happened between them, she knew if her father or her mother called, she would help them.

She saw the same emotions play across Kara's face too. Anger, hurt, disappointment, sympathy, understanding. She could see the control, see Kara deciding how she was going to react. Not that there was ever any real doubt as to what choice Kara would make.

"I can only imagine what the two of you must think of me," Lena said. "I don't blame you."

Kara got up and wrapped Lena in a hug. "No, no. You are not weak. You are a brilliant, kind-hearted, beautiful soul. Your brother asked you for help and in life and death situations, you help family. No one can judge you for that."

Lena broke down sobbing as Kara held her.

"I'm sorry you felt like you couldn't tell me," Kara said. "I am so sorry."

Lena looked over at Maggie, and Maggie could see the question in her eyes.

"He's your brother," Maggie said. "I get it. He's a pile of shit, but that doesn't change the fact that you love him. And I get why you didn't want to tell us. And I'm sorry I came at you the way I did the other night. I shouldn't have done that."

"No. You were right. I was lying."

"That doesn't matter," Maggie said. "I handled it badly. I hurt you and I hurt Kara, and I'm sorry. I promise I'll try to do better."

"Thank you," Lena said.

Kara let go of Lena. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I think so. I want to help you with your investigation, if you'll let me," Lena said.

"That would be great," Maggie said.

"Do you need a few minutes first?" Kara asked.

"No," Lena said. "I'd like to get started."

"Do you know who Sebastian Melmoth is?" Maggie asked. "We've tried to find any trace of him, but the only thing we've come up with is a pseudonym for Oscar Wilde."

"That and the fact that Emily Dickinson wrote some really raunchy poems," Kara said.

Maggie laughed and picked up one of the files off the table, then swatted Kara with it. She turned and stopped cold the second she saw Lena, which looked like all the blood had drained from her face.

"You know who he is," Maggie said.

"When Lex was 13, he read the entire works of Oscar Wilde and for weeks, he had us call him by Oscar Wilde's pseudonym, Sebastian Melmoth."

"So, Sebastian is Lex," Kara said.

"Which means Lex bought a missile base in Rubniu, wherever the hell that is," Maggie said. "Great. Just fucking wonderful."

"Rubniu?" Lena asked.

"Yeah," Kara said. "Susan thinks it's a cipher of some sort, but she doesn't know what kind or the key, so until we can break it, we're stuck."

"It will be a double breasted interrupted key cipher. Melmoth will be the key. How is Rubniu spelled?"

Kara pointed to the murder board. Lena got up and picked up a marker as she walked over to the window. She uncapped the marker and started writing a single word. Kaznia.

"Well, I guess we're going to Kaznia," Kara said.

"Fuck," Maggie said.


	15. Will the Real Miss Tessmacher Please

Notes: The full chapter title is "Will the Real Miss Tessmacher Please Stand Up?"

This chapter contains canon dialog from the episode, "Will the Real Miss Tessmacher Please Stand Up?"

* * *

March 28, 2019

Maggie took a deep breath, not entirely sure she was ready for this, but it couldn't wait. She, Kara and Lena were due to leave for Kaznia the next morning, and she wasn't about to take a run at Lex Luthor without as many advantages as she could get. Which was why she was standing outside the one place in all of National City she didn't want to be, trying to work up the courage to knock. She lifted her hand, and gave three sharp raps on the door, then waited for what seemed like an eternity until she saw the light coming out of the peephole dim. She forced a smile and gave a small wave. A second later, she heard a deadbolt being thrown and the door opened, leaving her facing Alex Danvers.

"Hey," she said. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," Alex said, stepping back, to let Maggie inside.

Maggie stepped into the apartment that used to be her home, the home she'd shared with Alex for months, and the first thing she saw was another woman sitting on the couch. Maggie had no idea who she was, but she was stunningly beautiful. She had rich, warm brown skin and large, deep brown eyes, full lips and high, arched brows and long black hair, and a tall, oval face, and she was sitting on Alex's couch like she belonged there. She waited for the pain to hit, but surprisingly, it never came. Just a bit of awkwardness

"I'm sorry," Maggie said. "I uh… I didn't realize you had a date tonight."

"Oh, no," Alex said. "This is Kelly Olsen."

"Oh! You're James's sister."

"You're a friend of James's?" Kelly asked.

"I'm sorry. Where are my manners? I'm Maggie Sawyer."

"Nice to meet you, Maggie," Kelly said.

Maggie nodded and turned back to Alex. "Can we talk, privately?"

"If you need me to leave…" Kelly said.

"No," Alex said. She looked at Maggie. "Can we meet tomorrow?"

"I'm going to be on a plane with your sister and Lena tomorrow, so this kind of needs to happen now," Maggie said.

Kelly stood up. "I'm going to step out onto the balcony. Alex, you can come get me when you're done."

"Okay," Alex said.

"Thank you," Maggie said.

"It's no problem," Kelly said.

As soon as the balcony door closed, Alex turned to her. "You're going with Kara?"

"Yes," Maggie said.

"Oh, thank god. I know Lena's capable, but…"

"But Kara is your sister, Kaznia is one of the most oppressive governments on the planet, and they are going there to hunt down Lex Luthor."

"It sounds so much worse when you put it that way," Alex said.

"Believe me, we're on the same page, which is why I'm here. Do you still have the gun you picked up off world?"

"Yeah," Alex said.

"I need to borrow it," Maggie said.

"You want to take it to Kaznia with you?" Alex asked.

"Yeah. We're taking Lena's private plane, so I figured I'd take some very artillery. If Lex has one of his suits, I want something that can bring it down."

"That's a good idea," Alex said. She walked over to the coffee table and reached under in, and a drawer slid out, revealing a small armory. She pulled out the alien gun, and handed it to Maggie, along with a paddle holster. "I want this back."

"I know, and I'll bring it back if I can, but protecting Kara comes first."

"Agreed," Alex said. "Can I… um… Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Maggie said.

"When Kara called me and told me she was going to Kaznia, she said that she wanted to talk to me about something important when she got back. I know you've been spending a lot of time with her lately, so I was wondering if you know what she wants to talk about?" Alex asked.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "It's… I can't tell you. It's not my news to share, but it's nothing bad. She's just been figuring a few things out lately, and she wants to talk to her sister about it."

Alex nodded. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"I am, actually," Maggie said. "I um… You were right, you know. About how I feel about Supergirl."

Alex got one of those big Danvers smiles on her face. "Does she feel the same way?"

"I think so," Maggie said. "I hope so. But it's complicated. You know, she has this person who means the world to her and I don't know they would be okay with me being with her, so until I can talk to them and get their approval things are kind of in this weird sort of holding pattern."

"Why wouldn't they be okay with it?"

"That's the complicated part," Maggie said. "And the part I can't really talk about. I just… I just hope that when all this if over, and I do get the chance to talk to them, they understand how much she means to me."

"I'm sure they will."

"I hope so," Maggie said. "After you, I never thought I'd feel like this again. I don't think the universe is going to give me a third chance." Maggie pulled back her jacket and slipped the hostler into place on her belt. "Thanks for the loan. I'll let you get back to your night."

* * *

March 29, 2019

Kara let out a moan of pleasure that made Maggie smile.

"I know, right," Lena said.

"I'm not sure which one is more surprising. That you invented a Sushi machine, that you installed it on a plane, or that it actually makes good sushi," Maggie said.

"Well, I figured if I was going to automate the rest of the plane, I might as well automate that too," Lena said.

"Um… you automated the rest of the plane?" Maggie asked, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Yeah. This plane makes its own coffee, cleans its own toilets, and flies itself," Lena said.

"There's no pilot?" Kara asked.

"Humans make mistakes. Technology doesn't," Lena said.

"Um, Lena, have you ever actually used a computer for more than five minutes?" Maggie asked.

"It's not like the plane is running Windows," Lena said.

"Neither did that probe that crashed into Mars because someone forgot to convert from English to Metric," Maggie said. "I swear to god, if you kill me with a math error, my ghost is going to send TMZ the inventory I did of your underwear drawer when I searched your hotel room."

Lena's eyes got as big as dinner plates and she started to turn an interesting shade of red. Kara started to laugh and tried to cover it with a cough.

"The technology is perfectly safe," Lena said.

Any reply Maggie or Kara might have given was cut off by a huge crack of thunder.

"Shit!" Maggie said.

"It's fine," Lena said. "Just a little lightning storm."

"Is lightning usually purple?" Kara asked.

There was another crack of lightning, and the lights in the cabin went out. A second later, the emergency lights came on, but Maggie couldn't help but notice a distinct lack of engine noise.

"Shit," Maggie said. She looked over at Kara, to see the same worried expression on her face.

"You two get your seatbelts on," Lena said. "I'm going to land the plane."

Maggie put her seatbelt as Lena headed for the cockpit, then looked back over to Kara.

"Can you carry this thing from inside?"

Kara shook her head. "No. The ribs of the air frame are too weak. I need to get under it."

"Guys, brace yourself! We're going to make an emergency landing!" Lena yelled from the cockpit.

"Go," Maggie said.

Kara vanished at superspeed. Maggie wasn't quite sure how she got outside, but a moment later, she saw her flying alongside the plane. She gave a small wave before dropping out of site.

Oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling. Maggie grabbed one and put it on, cinching it tight. Lena continued to yell from the cockpit, but Maggie tuned it out. She gripped the arms of her seat tightly and waited. Kara wouldn't let her down. She wouldn't let either of them down.

The plane lifted up, and a few seconds later, a mountain sailed by terrifyingly close, and Maggie added a tick mark to the number of times Kara had saved her life. She took slow, deep breaths until she felt he plane touch down a few minutes later and made a note to never fly in one of Lena's jets again, after they got home.

Kara reappeared beside her.

"Seatbelt," Maggie hissed.

Kara nodded and put her seatbelt and oxygen mask on, just in time. Lena appeared out of the cockpit, looking frantic as she ran to Kara.

"Are you okay?" Lena asked.

Kara nodded and pulled off the oxygen mask. "We're fine," she said. "God, I hate flying."

"That lightning wasn't natural. Someone brought us down on purpose."

"No shit," Maggie said. "Twenty bucks says the death ray belongs to Lex."

"That's a sucker bet," Kara said.

Maggie stood up and checked that she still had Alex's gun on her hip. "You guys ready to do this?"

* * *

"I really don't like this place," Maggie said.

Kara looked around the massive room they were in, and she couldn't help but agree. The room was filled with two rows of operating tables. Each table was separated from the ones to either side by heavy plastic sheeting, and all the sheeting was liberally splattered with what Kara was sure was blood.

"This is like Cadmus, all over again," Maggie said. "Kidnapping and torturing aliens."

"But why?" Kara asked.

"He was probably trying to figure out how to duplicate their powers," Lena said.

"That does seem to be a running theme in your family," Maggie said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lena asked.

Kara winced at the defensive tone in Lena's voice.

"Your mom with the cyborgs, you with the Harun-El formula, and Lex with…" Maggie waved her hand around, "…this. It also explains what happened with James. Lex couldn't get this to work the way he wanted, but he knew you were working along the same lines, so he had Eve shoot James to push you into testing the serum."

Lena frowned, and Kara wanted to say something, to smooth things over, but it was hard to find words to sooth Lena's bruised feelings with the evidence of Lex's crimes all around them.

"Look at the equipment," Maggie said.

"It all says Amertek," Lena said.

Kara looked around the room and spotted a stand of files on the desk at the far end.

"Paper files," she said.

"That would be Eve," Lena said. "She always said you couldn't hack paper." She walked over, picked up one of the files, and flipped it open. "This is Eve's handwriting."

"That's great," Maggie said as she reached into the bag she was carrying and pulled out the Camera James had loaded her. "Lena, why don't you get pictures of the lab equipment, while Kara and I start going through the files."

"I should be the one going through the files," Lena said. "I'm more likely to pick up anything useful."

"The files aren't going anywhere," Maggie said. "Kara and I don't know what half the shit in the room is, so neither of us would know what's important to get photos of, but we're both able to sort out supply closet inventories and cafeteria requisitions from something actually important."

"Do you speak Russian?" Lena asked.

"I do," Kara said. "And Maggie's right. Neither of us would know what to get pictures of."

"Fine," Lena said. She took the camera from Maggie and stalked off.

"What was that about?" Kara asked.

"Giving you a chance to go through the files at super speed," Maggie said.

Kara had to fight to keep from leaning over and kissing Maggie in that moment, because she hadn't even thought of trying that. She glanced towards Lena to make sure she wasn't watching, then tore into the files, quickly sorting them into two piles. One was a stack of files of various prisoners, and the experiments that had been conducted on them. The second, larger stand was day to day operations of the base.

"What did you find?" Maggie asked.

"All of the aliens who came through here were prisoners at the DEO desert facility. Kopy, who attacked that carnival last year, the Morae assassin who tried to kill Haley."

"How was he getting prisoners from the desert facility?" Maggie asked.

"I don't know," Kara said. "He'd have to have help from the inside."

"Haley?"

"No. I don't see it. Haley's a bigot, but she's all about rules. The only way she'd have something to do with this is if she got orders from higher up."

"Kara, Maggie," Lena called out. They both turned to see her coming up the isle in the middle of the room holding a pair of while cuffs.

"What's that?" Kara asked.

"DEO power damping cuffs," Lena said.

"Well, that tracks," Maggie said. "It looks like Lex was getting his victims out of the lock up at the DEO Desert facility."

"How do you know that?" Lena asked.

"The stack of files on the left are all DEO prisoners. Most of them are ones Supergirl fought at some point," Kara said.

"Well, that explains why he was spying on the desert facility. He was picking out victims," Lena said.

"You know, I've never met him, but I'm going out on a limb here and saying I really hate Lex," Maggie said.

"Join the club," Lena said.

"I-"

A loud bang filled the room and all three of them turned towards three large doors where the sound came from. Maggie drew Alex's alien pistol and pointed it at the door, while Lena reached for one of the stun batons in a rack on the wall. Kara glanced at Maggie who gave her a small nod before she moved forward and opened the door. Eve Tessmacher was on the other side.

"Kara! Lena! Maggie! You found me!" Eve said. She let out a huge sigh. "I was so scared."

"Right," Maggie said. "How the hell do you know who I am?"

"Oh. You came to visit Kara at CatCo once," Eve said.

"Nice try, but I never met you," Maggie said.

"Oh. Um…"

"Where's Lex?" Kara asked.

"I saw what he was doing to those poor aliens and I just couldn't stand by him anymore," Eva said.

"Cut the crap, Eva Braun. You're a backstabber and a liar," Lena said.

"You're right. I am lying. But I really do love you guys. I just love Lex more. I'm always going to be on his side."

Lena stepped closer to Eve and shoved the electrified end of the stun baton in her face. "You're going to jail, but whether it's an American prison or a Siberian hole in the ground, is up to me right now. So, you're going tell us what we want to know. Now."

Maggie reached out and grabbed the stun baton, yanking it out of Lena's hand. "Okay, dial it back a little, Torquemada. We're not electrocuting Lex's little Manson girl today."

"We need to find out what Lex is up to," Lena said.

"I know," Maggie said, "but we also want anything we find out to hold up in court, which means anything we coerce is useless."

Lena looked like she was going to argue, but Maggie turned back to Eve.

"What was Lex doing here?" Maggie asked.

"I don't know. Lex likes to keep his plans compartmentalized," Eve said. Her gaze dropped down to the floor, before she looked at Maggie again.

"Eve, you just said you saw what he was doing."

"I was…" Eve stopped as her eyes glazed over. She stared off into space for a minute.

"Eve?" Maggie asked.

"Maggie! Hi," Eve said.

Maggie looked over at Kara for a moment. "Something's off here."

"Yeah."

Eve's gaze dropped down the floor again, and Maggie looked down. Kara followed her gaze.

"Are those claw marks?" Kara asked.

"Yeah," Maggie said.

"They look like they lead somewhere," Kara said.

"Into a trap, would be my guess," Maggie said. She looked over at Kara.

"I'm not sure we have a choice," Kara said.

Maggie turned to Lena. "Put the cuffs on her. I'll get the files."

* * *

Maggie lead the way down the hall, the alien gun held out in front of her. Lena and Kara both followed, each of them carrying a stun baton, with Lena leading Eve. She wasn't really sure that was the best idea since she didn't really trust Lena, but if shit really hit the far, Kara needed to be free to move and move fast. They could worry about blown secret identities later if it became an issue, and if it came to it, Maggie was perfectly willing to stun Lena and carry her back to the jet if it was necessary to cover Kara.

The hall ended in a lab of some sort. Nothing like what she might have found in America, just a large room with some lab equipment set up on one side, more like a high school chemistry classroom than a serious research facility.

"Lena," Maggie said.

"Yes?"

Maggie pointed at a crate. "Put Eve there, and then see what you can make of this."

Lena marched Eve over and sat her down on the crate, then started looking at the equipment on the lab table.

"This is Harun-El," Lena said.

"Well, that's just fucking lovely," Maggie said.

Lena moved over and opened a crate sitting next to the table, and a sickening green light filled the room.

"Kryptonite," Kara said. Maggie could hear the distress in her voice and she moved over, pushing Lena out of the way and slamming the lid of the box shut, then relocking the crate.

"What are you doing?" Lena asked.

"That stuff is radioactive," Maggie said.

"The radiation is harmless to humans," Lena said.

"Tell that to your brother's cancer," Maggie said.

"You're being ridiculous," Lena said.

"Maybe," Maggie said. She turned to Kara and felt her stomach sink as she saw the board behind Kara. "Shit."

"What?" Kara asked, turning around.

"It's an attack plan," Lena said.

"They're going to invade America," Maggie said.

"That's the plan," Eve said in a cheerful voice.

"That's insane," Lena said. "A Kaznian invasion on American soil will be like a child throwing rocks at a tank."

"Lex has a tank," Eve said. "Tank. Tank. Tank…"

"Eve?" Lena said, rushing to Eve's side.

Eve kept repeating the same word, ever and ever again, shaking each time she did as Eve finally just slumped down and was still.

"Is she okay?"

"I don't know," Lena said. "Lex must have done something to her. Embedded a trigger word or something."

Maggie turned at the sound of the computer system on one end of the room coming to life. The screens, all seven of them, filled with images of Kara. Wireframe diagrams, vital signs readouts, footage of her in a weird gray suit throwing a missile.

"It's Supergirl," Kara said.

"Lexie calls her Krasnaya Doch," Eve said.

"That means Red Daughter," Lena said.

"Is she a clone?" Kara asked.

"No. Not exactly. All these biometrics have been affected by Harun-El. We know it duplicates Kryptonians. In split Sam from Reign. Supergirl must have come in contact with it."

"This is bad," Maggie said. "The Kaznias have her, and they have the Harun-El, which means they can give their soldiers superpowers, which makes that invasion a lot less one sides."

"But Supergirl would never work with Lex," Kara said.

"She's not Supergirl," Lena said. "She's a blank slate, or at least, she was."

"When did Supergirl come into contact with the Harun-El?" Maggie asked.

"It would have had to be during the final battle with Reign," Lena said.

"So, Lex and the Kaznias have had nine months to experiment on her, train her and indoctrinate her."

"Lex has created the very thing he fears the most. A Kryptonian trained as a killer. And in Lex's hands, it's more dangerous than an atomic bomb. And he has it pointed right at America."

"She is not an it," Kara said. "Whatever Lex and the Kaznias have done to her, there must be some part of Supergirl still in her."

"I'm with Kara on this," Maggie said. "If she really is some kind of duplicate of Supergirl, then there must be some way to reach her."

Lena looked at Maggie. "You're letting your emotions cloud your judgement. I know you have feelings for Supergirl, but you have to see reason."

"That's not what this is about," Maggie said. "If she is…"

Maggie turned and drew the alien gun and find herself staring at a second Eve.

"What the fucking hell?" she asked.

"I don't understand," Lena said. "The Harun-El can't duplicate humans."

"Kopy," Kara said. "Lex must have given Eve Kopy's powers."

"True," the second Eve said. She raised her arm and reached for her watch, but her hand never got there. Maggie pulled the trigger, and a blast of energy caught Eve in the chest. She dropped like a rock, and the Eve in the cuffs vanished before the second Eve hit the ground.

"Well, I guess we know which one is the original," Maggie said.

"Did you kill her?" Lena asked.

"No," Maggie said. "Just stunned her."

Maggie walked over and took Eve's watch off, then fastened the power dampening cuffs on her. Then she reached into her bag and pulled out a hard drive.

"Can you transfer everything from those computers on to this?" Maggie asked.

"I think so," Lena said.

"Good. Do it and pack up as much of what you can to take with us. Kara and I will do a quick search of the rest of the base."

"Okay," Lena said.

Maggie looked at Kara and nodded towards the hallway. Kara followed her as they headed out. As soon as they were out of earshot of Lena, Maggie turned to Kara.

"How fast can you search this place?"

"Five, ten minutes tops," Kara said.

"Go," Maggie said, holding out her bag. "See if you can find anything that can tell us who in the administration is helping Lex."

Kara nodded as she slung Maggie's bag over her shoulder, and then she was gone.

* * *

Kara raced back the way they came and took the stairs up to the top of the facility and worked her way down, going room by room, scanning every document she found at super speed, between quick X-Ray vision checks on Maggie and Lena. She put anything that seemed important into Maggie's bag before moving on. The bag filled slowly until she got to a records room on the ground floor, where she found copies of the prisoner transfers. Every single one of them was signed for by Sarah Walker, the President's chief of staff. Those files went into the bag, and she finished searching the rest of the room, and found a few files that detailed resourced provided to the Children of Liberty through Mercy and Otis Graves, which made her smile. With a little luck, she'd be able to bring down Lockwood as well as Lex. Once she was sure the file room didn't have anything else they could use, she headed back down to the sublevel where the labs where.

She moved through the sublevel quickly, finding much, or expecting much, until she came to one last hallway. The first room off the hall was a grimy bedroom, with paint peeling off the wall, and she almost walked past it until she caught sight of one of the photos. It was a picture of her and Alex, sitting in Noonans.

Kara stepped into the room, a growing feeling of horror and panic spreading through her as she studied every picture in the room. There were pictures of her as she took in every picture on the wall. Pictures of her and Alex, pictures of her and Lena, pictures of her and Cat, pictures of her and Nia, pictures of her sitting on her couch in the suit, pictures of her at CatCo, pictures of her with Eliza at the house in Midvale, pictures of her at the DEO in the suit, pictures of her and Lucy, pictures of her and Maggie.

She looked around the room, and spotted her journal, the one she'd thought she lost in Kansas, sitting on the nightstand next to the bed. She picked it up, and the picture of her and Alex almost fell out. She caught it, and flipped through the journal, making sure it was hers. She saw the entries she'd made about Lena, about Alex, about Cat, and Nia and Eliza and Maggie.

The longer she stared at it, the harder it was to breathe.

"Self-Destruct in ten minutes!" a voice shouted over a PA system in Russian.

Kara shoved her journal into Maggie's bag, used her superspeed to collect all the pictures off the wall, and took off towards where she'd left Maggie and Lena at super speed.

* * *

Maggie rushed back into the lab to find Lena standing at one of the computers, typing frantically.

"What happened?" Maggie asked.

"I don't know," Lena said. "I packed up the Harun-El samples while the files were copying to the hard drive. Once the copy was finished, I initiated a purge on the computer. I didn't want to leave the Harun-El research in Kaznian hands, but as soon as I initiated the purge, the self-destruct system activated."

"Fuck," Maggie said.

"Where's Kara?" Lena said.

"On her way," Maggie said.

"You left her alone?"

"She can handle herself," Maggie said.

"She's a reporter," Lena said.

"Yeah, and sister is the Director of the DEO and a certified Krav Maga instructor. Kara can handle herself," Maggie said.

"What happened?" Kara called out as she ran into the room.

"Lena triggered some sort of booby trap," Maggie said. "We need to get out of here."

"Okay," Kara said. "We'll have to go back out the way we came in."

"Can you carry Eve?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah," Kara said.

"Lena, grab the Harun-El and the hard drive, and let's get out of here," Maggie said as she grabbed the crate with the Kryptonite.

* * *

They made it back to the Jet with a good four minutes to spare. Kara dropped Eve into one of the seats and buckled her in while Lena went up to the cockpit to get them into the air, and Maggie secured the Kryptonite and the Harun-El samples.

"We're about to move," Lena called from the cockpit.

"Understood," Maggie said as she finished stowing the crate. She dropped down into the seat facing Kara as the plane started to move. One look at Kara's face told her there was something wrong.

"What is it?"

"I found Red Daughter's bedroom when I was searching the facility," Kara said.

"Okay," Maggie said. "Why does that have you so shook up?"

"She had pictures of me," Kara said.

Maggie felt a chill run down her spine. She hoped she was misunderstanding what Kara was saying. "She had pictures of you in your suit?"

"That too," Kara said. "But she had pictures of me with Alex, Lena, Lucy, Cat, Eliza and you. Pictures of my apartment, of CatCo. She even had one of my journals. It's in your bag with the files."

"Fuck," Maggie said. "So she knows, which means…"

"Which means Lex knows," Kara said.

"Which means Eve knows too," Maggie said. "Shit. If we turn her in, she could blow your identity."

"She could tell Lena as soon as she wakes up," Kara said.

"Jesus fuck," Maggie said. "What are we going to do?"

Kara leaned out and looked towards the cockpit of the Jet. "I think I need to tell Lena."

"Tell Lena that you're Supergirl?" Maggie asked.

"You think I shouldn't?" Kara asked.

"I'm not crazy about the idea, but Kara, it's not my decision. It's your secret to keep or share. If you want to tell Lena, I'll be here while you do, and I'll be here for whatever happens after. Just, be sure, because you can't unring that bell."

Kara nodded. "I'm sure," she said. "If she had found that room instead of me… I don't want to think about how she would have reacted."

"I get it," Maggie said.

The plane tilted back as they lifted off, and for a few minutes, the whine of the engines silenced any further conversation, so Maggie just leaned forward and took Kara's hand.

"Did you find what we needed?" Maggie asked once the whine of the engines died away.

"Everything," Kara said. "I've got all the proof I need to clear Supergirl's name, to link Lex to his contact in the White House, and to prove that Lex was behind the Children of Liberty."

"That's great," Maggie said.

"Yeah," Kara said.

They sat in silence for a while longer until the plane leveled off.

"Here she comes," Kara said. She let go of Maggie's hand and sat up a little straighter.

Lena took the seat across the aisle from them and turned to face them. "We're at cruising altitude. I have an LCorp mid-air refueling drone set to meet us over Alaska, but we're running cloaked until we're back in US airspace."

"Good," Kara said. "Lena, there's something I need to tell you, and… You might not like it, but I need to you to hear me out, okay."

"What is it?" Lena asked. "You know you can tell me anything, Kara."

"I hope so, but I'm afraid this is going to be really hard for you to hear. The thing is, I've been keeping a secret from you since the day we met. At first, it was because I didn't know you. I wanted to trust you from that first day, but this is something only a handful of people know about me. It's something I had only ever willingly chose to tell one person when we met.

"The thing is this secret doesn't just affect me. If it ever got out, it would put everyone I care about in danger. So, before I share it, before I tell anyone, I have to be sure I can trust them. But by the time I was sure I could trust you, the idea of telling you was terrifying because I'd kept the truth from you for so long that I was sure you would hate me for it."

"Kara, I could never hate you," Lena said.

"Don't be so sure," Kara said. She reached up and took off her glasses. Maggie held out her hand, and Kara passed her the glasses, then she reached up and unpinned her hair, letting it fall down loose.

"My name is Kara Zor-El. I was born on the planet Krypton. I left the day my planet was destroyed, just like my cousin, but my pod got knocked off course, and I drifted into a rift in space time called the phantom zone. I was trapped there for twenty-four years before my pod's navigation system got rebooted. I arrived on Earth, and I was taken in by the Danvers. I hid my powers, hid the fact that I'm an alien until that night when the plane went down. Alex was on the plane. I caught that plane to save her."

"You're… You're Supergirl…" Lena said.

"Yes," Kara said. "I know I should have told you before now. I wanted to, but I didn't know how."

"Why now?" Lena asked.

"Lex knows," Kara said. "Eve and Red Daughter too. I didn't want you to find out from them. You deserve to hear it from me."

"So you're only telling me because you're afraid they'll tell me first?" Lena asked.

"No," Kara said. "Lena, I've wanted to tell you for a long time, but I was scared. You… You don't have the best outlook when it comes to aliens."

"What?" Lena said.

"The alien detector," Kara said. "All the speeches about it made sense that humans were scared of us. And the Kryptonite. The way you acted. Lena, you're one of my closest friends, but I don't think you understand how scared I am of losing people. I watched my whole world die, and I lost my baby cousin, replaced by a man I barely know, I lost my foster father, the first boy I ever liked was murdered, I found out my aunt survived, and then watched her die in my arms. Lucy left, Cat left, Mon-El left twice, Maggie, Imra, Winn, Sam and Ruby, Susan… Every time I lose someone, every time someone walks out of my life, it tears that wound open again. It's like watching Krypton burn again. And I was scared. I was scared that you would hate me for being an alien. I was scared that you would hate me for keeping a secret from you and then I was scared because you were so angry at Supergirl, so I didn't tell you, and I know that was wrong. I should have been honest with you a long time ago. I know that. But when I saw… When I saw what I saw back there, and I thought of how much it would hurt you to find out from someone else, I knew I had to tell you. Even if you hate me, even if you never speak to me again, you deserve the truth."

"Who else knows?" Lena asked.

"J'onn, Eliza, Winn, Cat Grant, Lucy Lane, Susan Vasquez, James, Brainy, Nia, Maggie, obviously, my cousin and his girlfriend, Mon-El, Imra, Lillian, Hank Henshaw. A hand full of Superheroes from another universe that I help out sometimes."

"Alex?" Lena asked.

"No," Kara said. "She… It's hard to explain. She used to know, but Colonel Haley brought in a truth seeker to question people at the DEO to try and uncover my secret identity so she could blackmail me into doing whatever the government wanted. Alex and the hand full of agents who knew my identity all volunteered to have the knowledge blocked from their memories, so the truth seeker couldn't force the information out of them. Alex hasn't known I'm Supergirl for months. She doesn't even remember that I'm an alien."

"My God," Lena said.

"That's another reason I was hesitant to tell you this. Just knowing who I am puts you at risk. Two years ago, right before the Daxamite invasion, someone kidnapped Alex, and tried to use her to blackmail me. In January, half a dozen agents at the DEO had to have their minds wiped to protect my secret. Maggie lost her job because people thought she might know who I am."

"But you told all of these people," Lena said. "Just not me."

"I told Winn," Kara said. "I told him the day after I saved the plane, because he was my best and closest friend, and I needed someone to believe in me, to be happy for me. I told Lucy because I didn't have a choice. I needed her help to save Alex and J'onn's lives, and it was the only way I could get her to trust me. I told the Flash because he saw me saw use my powers after Kara Danvers got attacked by a metahuman. And I told Nia for reasons that aren't mine to share. Everyone else who knows either figured it out on their own or were told by someone else without my permission. My cousin told James, my foster family, and his girlfriend. My foster dad told J'onn. J'onn told Susan. Mon-El told Brainy and Imra. Cat and Maggie figured it out on their own. Henshaw used to run the DEO, and they caught me flying with Alex not long after I got here. I assume Henshaw or Jeremiah told your mother, but I don't know for sure."

"So my mother knew before we even met?" Lena asked.

"Yes," Kara said.

Lena looked over at Maggie. "How long have you known?"

"Since before I started dating Alex," Maggie said.

Kara looked over at her. "Alex said you figured it out when I got taken to the Slaver's moon," she said.

Maggie laughed and shook her head. "I figured it out that night I met you as Kara at Al's bar."

"How?" Kara asked.

"When you said 'and I've heard all about you,' you glared at me and your eyes glowed a little. I thought you were going to incinerate me."

Kara shrugged. "I considered it, but I decided I'd settle for helping Alex hide your body."

"Oh," Lena said.

Maggie turned to look at her. "What?"

Lena looked at Kara. "That's why you got so defensive that night when I asked you about Maggie. I feel so stupid. I thought the two of you were together."

Kara looked over at Maggie, who gave a small shrug. "Might as well tell her."

Kara nodded and turned back to Lena.

"You are together!"

"No," Kara said. "But it's not because we don't want to be."

"I thought you were straight," Lena said.

"I've never come out to anyone because I never had a reason to before," Kara said. "The thing is… Alex knows that Maggie has feelings for Supergirl, but she doesn't know that I'm Supergirl, so if Maggie were to go to her and ask if it's okay for her to date me…"

"It would go over like a lead balloon," Lena said.

"This is Alex," Kara said. "I'm pretty sure any lead involved with be moving at muzzle velocity."

Lena leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Kara asked.

"It's just a lot to take in. I think I just need some time," Lena said.

"Of course," Kara said.

Lena stood up. "I'll be in the cockpit."

"Okay," Kara said.

Lena headed up to the cockpit and closed the door behind her.

"That could have gone better," Kara said.

"It could have also gone a lot worse too," Maggie said. "How are you doing?"

"I don't know," Kara said.

Maggie reached out and took Kara's hand. "Whatever happens, I'm here."

"Thank you," Kara said.

* * *

March 29, 2019

Maggie wasn't quite sure what woke her up, but she reached out and frowned when she didn't find Kara next to her. It took her a little longer to realize she wasn't in a bed, but in some sort of recliner. She opened her eyes slowly and found herself in the cabin of a dimly lit plane. Kara was sitting across the aisle from her, staring at a laptop.

"Kara?"

Kara turned towards her. "Hey," she said.

"How long was I asleep?"

"About six hours," Kara said.

"I'm sorry," Maggie said. "I didn't mean to sleep that long."

"It's okay," Kara said. "You needed the rest."

"Where's Lena?" Maggie asked as she sat up.

"She's up in the cockpit," Kara said.

"How's she doing?"

"We talked a bit," Kara said. "She's upset, but I think we're going to be okay."

"Eve hasn't woken up yet?" Maggie asked.

"She did, but Lena gave her a sedative," Kara said. "I contacted Barry. He's going to meet us when we touch down and take Eve to Earth 1. He'll hold her in the pipeline until we decide what to do with her."

"That takes care of that problem then."

"Yeah. Once that's done, I'm going to head over to CatCo and let James know what's going on, then I'm going to head to DC. I'm pretty sure Cat has enough sway to get me in to see President Baker. I'll take the original files with me so he has proof that I'm telling the truth."

"That's a good plan," Maggie said.

"I need a favor from you," Kara said.

"Anything."

"J'onn is back. Apparently, he went to Mars to deal with something. I want you to go back to the loft, pack a bag, and go to his place until I get back from DC."

"You don't think you'll be back tonight?" Maggie asked.

"I'm taking the President proof that a member of his staff is colluding with a foreign power to attack the US. He might have some questions." Kara reached across the aisle and took Maggie's hand. "Lex and Red Daughter both know who I am. I need you to be safe."

"Okay. I'll go to J'onn's tonight. But just for tonight."

"Maggie-"

"El Mayara, / ,kahrah,/. We run towards the danger, Kara. Both of us. But we're stronger if we do it together."

Kara smiled and squeezed her hand. "Okay. Together." She looked up the aisle, then back at Maggie.

"You know that thing you asked me not to say."

Maggie nodded. "Yeah?"

"I won't say it. Not yet. But I just want you to know, if I did say it, I would mean it."

"I would mean it too." Maggie lifted Kara's hand up and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "You come back to me, / ,kahrah,zor,el,/."


	16. Red Dawn

Notes: This chapter contains canon dialog from the episode "Red Dawn"

* * *

March 29, 2019

Maggie finished drying her hair and hung the towel on the rack. Kara would probably be pissed that she had stayed at the loft long enough to shower before heading to J'onn's, but for all its amenities, Lena's jet didn't have a shower, and after almost 36 hours without, Maggie couldn't deal with how greasy and grimy she felt. A quick shower, and she felt like a human being again, and honestly, what Kara didn't know, wouldn't hurt her.

She took a second to put her hair up so it would fit under her helmet, then pulled on a fresh set of clothes. She tossed a set of Kara's flannel pajamas in her bag, checked to make sure she had the flash drive with the evidence on it and the dimensional extrapolator Kara had asked her to pick up and that Kara's stash of yellow sunlight grenades was in her bag, then grabbed the crate with the lump of Kryptonite, and headed for the door. She stopped in the kitchen when she heard the sound of a key sliding into the lock. She sat the bag and the crate on the kitchen counter and reached for the alien gun, resting her hand on the butt of the weapon. Chances are, it was Alex, coming to check on Kara, but for a moment, she was worried Kara was right, and that she should have just grabbed her things and left. It was a fear that was dispelled a moment later when the door opened.

"Kara?"

"Hey," Kara said.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were going to DC after you finished at CatCo."

"I am," Kara said as she closed the door, "but I had to see you before I left."

Maggie smiled. "Come here."

Kars took a hesitant step towards her, and Maggie wondered at the sudden shyness. She reached out and rested her hands on Kara's hips, pulling her forward until their bodies were pressed together, then went up on her toes and kissed Kara.

It was wrong. From the instant their lips touched, Maggie knew it was wrong. When strong arms wrapped around her, they weren't comforting and enticing, they were a cage, pressing her against a stranger. When a tongue swiped at her lips, it wasn't arousing, it sent a shiver of fear down her spine, and she pulled away.

"Let go!" Maggie shouted into the woman's face. Maggie wasn't sure if it was surprise, shock, or months of training to obey orders, but the woman released her, and Maggie staggered back. She drew the alien gun and pointed it at the woman.

Red Daughter. It had to be.

"Maggie, what's wrong?" Red Daughter asked in Kara's voice.

"What are you doing here?" Maggie asked. She thought of the watch. Two clicks, to warn Kara to stay away. To warn her it was a trap. She dismissed it, because she knew Kara would come anyway. Kara would move heaven and Earth if she thought there was even a chance someone she cared about was in danger, and even if they hadn't spoken that one word to each other, Maggie knew how Kara felt. Warning Kara to stay away would just bring her that much faster.

"I told you, I wanted to see you before I went to DC."

"You're not Kara," Maggie said. "You're her. Krasnaya doch."

Red Daughter's expression shifted, going from concern to a sort of smug superiority. "How do you know that name?" she asked in a heavy Russian accent.

"I know everything," Maggie said. "I know you were created about nine months ago. I know you wound up in Kaznia somehow. I know you've been working with Lex."

"That's hardly everything," Red Daughter said. "You can put down gun. I am not here to hurt you."

Maggie stared at her for a moment, considering her options. The alien gun couldn't really hurt Red Daughter. It could knock her around a bit, though if Maggie turned the power up that high, the building might not survive it. She'd drawn the gun more on reflex than because it would actually protect her, and there was no reason to keep pointing it at Red Daughter, not when a bit of super speed would let her rip the gun from Maggie's hands before she could pull the trigger anyway.

Maggie holstered the gun.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"I'm curious," Red Daughter said. "I've met her Alex, and Lena, but you're different. I wondered what makes you special."

"And you thought making out with me would be the way to find out?"

"You kissed me."

"Only because I thought you were Kara."

"Yes. What gave me away?"

"You're a shitty kisser," Maggie said.

Maggie saw a flicker of anger on Red Daughter's face before she schooled her features back to the smug expression she'd been wearing. "A side effect of not rutting with anyone who comes along, I suppose." She took a step closer to Maggie. "You're not the first, you know. She talks about it in her journals. Pages and pages about Cat Grant, James Olsen, Lucy Lane, Mon-El, Thara Ak-Var, Nia Nal, Kate Kane."

Maggie smiled with a bit of satisfaction at the fact that Lena Luthor wasn't on the list. Confusion spread over Red Daughter's face.

"You think it's funny that she's had so many before you?"

"Well, first, I know that she's only 'had' one of them, and second, you really should see my back catalog. I've lost count."

"You act like that's something to be proud of."

"You act like it's something to be ashamed of. To love people. To want to be loved in return. That's not something to be ashamed of."

Red Daughter didn't seem to have an answer for that. She just stared.

"Do you have name? Or should I just call you Krasnaya?"

"Linda. You can call me Linda."

"Okay," Maggie said. "Why are you here, Linda?"

"I told you. I was curious."

"About what?" Maggie asked. "About what it's like to be in love? About what it's like to hold someone in your arms and feel at home? About what it's like to have a family?"

Red Daughter tilted her head as she looked at Maggie. "I wanted to know why you were different. Why she fell in love with you. There are others who could offer her more. Lena and Cat both have money and power. James could advance her career. Nia has powers and fights beside her. And yet, she's with you. Why?"

"Love isn't about money, power or career. Love is about having someone to share your life with. The good and the bad. It's about having someone who's there for you when you need them. It's about having someone who makes you feel like you matter, like you're not alone in the world. That's what love is. A connection, even when you're apart. Don't you have anyone you feel that for? Someone you long for when you're apart?"

"Alex," Red Daughter whispered.

"Okay," Maggie said. "Tell me about Alex."

Red Daughter hesitated, a wary look on her face. "Why?"

"I'm curious," Maggie said. "You said I don't know everything, so tell me. Why is Alex important?"

"When I first woke up, I knew nothing, except Alex's name," Red Daughter said. "I could remember nothing but that I wanted Alex."

"That makes sense. Alex has always been the most important person in Kara's life. You're a part of her."

"No! I'm nothing like her," Red Daughter said.

"I don't believe that," Maggie said.

"She protects the corrupt. She consorts with parasites who feed off the labor of the people."

"No," Maggie said. "She cares for people. She protects them, inspires them, gives them hope. She's stood on an alien world, with no power, and no hope of rescue, and told evil men that if they wanted to hurt the innocent, they will have to go through her. She would die to save someone's life, anyone's life, and she would be at peace with it."

"You lie!" Red Daughter said.

"No," Maggie said. "No, I don't. Kara is good. She is. She's the best person I know. And if you're a part of her, then there must be good in you too."

"No," Red Daughter said.

"Come here," Maggie said. She walked over to the fridge, took down one of the pictures of Kara and Alex, and held it out to Red Daughter. "Look at this."

Red Daughter took the picture and looked at it. "This is her Alex."

"Your Alex too," Maggie said. "Linda, you are a part of Kara, and she's a part of you. And that is the Alex you wanted when you woke up. Alex is Kara's home. Her sister. Her family. She's your family too. Just like I am."

Red Daughter looked up at her. "What?"

"Linda, Lex is using you," Maggie said.

"His name is Alex!"

"No," Maggie said. "No, it's not. His name is Lex Luthor, and he's lying to you."

"No. NO! You're lying."

"Am I?" Maggie said. She reached over and put her hand on the crate with the Kryptonite. She rested her thumb on the latch, so she could open it with just a flick. "I could stop you, right now. I could end this. Turn you into the DEO and let them lock you in a cage."

There was a flicker of fear on Red Daughter's face. "Then why don't you?"

"Because they would treat you like a monster, and I don't think you are. And because that's not what Kara would want." Maggie reached out and took Red Daughter's hand in her own. "Please, let us help you."

"I…" Red Daughter dropped her gaze, staring at the picture in front of her, and for a second, Maggie thought she had gotten through to her, but then Red Daughter turned towards the window, with that look that Kara always got when she heard something, and needed to rush off to Supergirl.

"I have to go," Red Daughter said. She sat the photo almost reverently on the counter, before she disappeared out the window at super speed.

Maggie reached for her phone and dialed Kara.

* * *

Kara glared as one of Baker's Secret Service goons pulled the bag off her head. She did a quick scan of the room to assess the situation, just like Alex had taught her. It was a semi-high-end hotel, and she was tied to a wood framed chair. Two secret service goons were in the room, both staring at her.

"Jeez, this is America. You can't just kidnap a reporter," she said.

"And you can't publish state secrets when it's a matter of national security."

"You know, I've never signed a security clearance, and the US doesn't any an official secrets act, so I think you'll find that I actually can. Besides, my editor already has all my evidence."

"We scrubbed the CatCo servers."

Kara rolled her eyes, more than a little grateful she'd given Maggie a copy of the evidence. "How long are you gonna keep me here?"

"Until the President tells us you aren't a problem anymore."

Kara shook her head. "You know, I don't really think that's gonna work for me." She looked down and screamed. "Spider!"

The Secret Service agent glanced down just as Kara kicked out, sweeping his legs out from under him. He landed hard enough to knock the breath out of him, and before he could recover, she kicked him in the head, putting him out. Then she threw her weight forward, rolling across the floor and coming up on her feet before she twisted, using the legs of the chair to knock the second agent's legs out from under him. Another quick tap with her foot, and he was unconscious too. She pulled her arms apart, shattering the chair she was tied to into dozens of pieces.

"You picked on the wrong girl," she said as she stepped over the agent and headed towards the door. She swung it open and found herself looking at her own face. Before she could react, Red Daughter opened up a case that held a chunk of Kryptonite attached to a heavy chain.

Kara staggered back as the pain from the Kryptonite washed over her. Searing skin, nails in her veins. Pain. So much pain. If she'd had a second or two to adjust, to react, she might have had time to turn and run, to put distance between her and the Kryptonite, but Red Daughter lashed out, punching her in the face, and then, there was only darkness.

* * *

"Damn it!" Maggie said as she slammed her phone down on the table in J'onn's dining room.

"No luck with James?" J'onn asked.

"He said she left CatCo almost two hours ago," Maggie said.

"Maybe we should call Alex," J'onn said.

"We can't," Maggie said. "If we call Alex and tell her Kara is missing, she's going to want to call Supergirl in to help, and since Kara is Supergirl, that's going to be a problem."

Maggie picked up her phone and tried calling Kara again, but no one answered. She pulled up Nia's number, and called her.

"Maggie?" Nia asked as she picked up.

"Yeah. I need your help," Maggie said.

"Of course. What do you need?"

"Kara's missing," Maggie said. "I need you to use your powers and see if you can find her."

"I'm on it," Nia said.

"Good. Call me back as soon as you know anything."

"Will do."

Maggie ended the call and pulled up a number she never thought she'd actually use and hit send.

"Hello?"

"Is this Cat Grant?" Maggie asked.

"No, it's Vicki Vale," Cat said. "Of course it's Cat Grant. Now, if you're done asking stupid questions, would you mind telling me who the hell you are, and why you're calling me at this ungodly hour?"

"This is Maggie Sawyer. We met during the Daxamite invasion."

"What's happened to Kara?" Cat asked.

"I don't know if anything has happened to her," Maggie said. "But she was supposed to be meeting with President Baker earlier this evening."

"I'm aware. I arranged the meeting," Cat said.

"Well, according to White House security, she never arrived and she's not answering her phone. I was hoping she might be with you."

"I haven't heard from her since she called to ask me to set up the meeting," Cat said. "I'll make inquiries. Let me know if you find her."

"I will," Maggie said. "But be careful. There's an imposter. I ran into her tonight."

"I see," Cat said. "How did you spot the imposter?"

"Kara's a much better kisser," Maggie said.

"Interesting, but without a basis for comparison, I don't think that would be an effective detection technique," Cat said.

"If you see Kara, ask her what our toast is. The answer is 'Here's to us'."

"That sounds like a story," Cat said.

"Now one we have time for," Maggie said.

"I'll call if I have anything," Cat said. "And Maggie…"

"Yes?"

"It you hurt her..."

"I'll hand you the shovel," Maggie said.

The line disconnected.

Maggie dropped her phone on the table and looked over at J'onn.

"Go ahead and say it."

"Say what?"

"How horrible I am for falling for Kara, for letting it go this far."

"I'm not going to say anything," J'onn said.

"Really?" Maggie asked.

"No," J'onn said. "Maggie, I've known that you had feelings for Kara since that night at the hospital. Every moment you were with her, your mind was practically screaming out that you loved her."

"No," Maggie said. "No, that's not right. It can't be. I didn't even realize… Not until after Lex escaped."

"You might not have realized it, but that didn't mean you didn't feel it. My hearing isn't as good as Kara's, but I heard what you said to Alex, and while I might not agree with everything you said, I could feel how protective you are of her and how much she means to you."

Maggie shook her head. "I don't know what I'm going to do if Alex isn't okay with this."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," J'onn said. "For now, let's focus on Kara, Lex and this Red Daughter."

"Okay," Maggie said.

As if on cue, her phone rang. Maggie saw Nia's name on the caller ID before she answered it.

"Did you find her?" Maggie asked.

"Sort of," Nia said. "I don't know where she is, but I know where she'll be. I saw her at J'onn's apartment. I think it was tomorrow morning. You were there with her."

"Thank God," Maggie said.

"Don't thank me yet," Nia said. "She was hurt. I think J'onn was taking a bullet out of her arm."

"What?"

"Look, I'm still new at all of this. I could be misinterpreting things, but the dream seemed pretty clear."

"Okay," Maggie said. "We'll be ready."

"Should I head over there?" Nia asked. "Maybe I could help."

"No. There's an imposter out there who looks exactly like Kara, has all of her abilities, and knows Kara's secret identity. Can you go and keep an eye on Alex? She doesn't know."

"Of course," Nia said.

"Thank you," Maggie said before she hung up. She pulled up Lena's contact info.

"Hello," Lena said as she picked up.

"I need you to come over to J'onn's," Maggie said. "And I need you to bring whatever you need to work Kryptonite."

"Why?" Lena asked. "What's going on?"

"I ran into Red Daughter," Maggie said. "And I need a weapon in case it happens again."

* * *

March 30, 2019

Kara sat in an armchair with her wrists chained together with the same heavy chain that was attached the lump of Kryptonite, watching as Red Daughter screwed a silencer onto the barrel of a Beretta 9mm

"I'm supposed to kill you, you know," Red Daughter said.

"I see that. Kryptonite makes me soft. You shoot me, I bleed." She shook her head, trying to clear it, to focus through the pain of the Kryptonite. "I went to Kaznia. I saw those pictures you have of me, my sister."

"Know thy enemy."

"Please don't do this. We are the same. We have the same genes, the same-"

"I see we've come to the part where the villain says, 'We are not so different, you and I.'"

"I am not a villain."

"Funny, your Maggie said the same thing."

Kara pulled at the chain around her wrist. "Did you hurt her?"

Red Daughter smiled. "She tastes like coffee and cherries, but I suppose you know that."

Kara felt rage bubble up her in chest at the thought of Red Daughter touching Maggie. "What did you do?"

"I'd barely said hello when she kissed me. So eager."

"If you hurt her-"

"I didn't," Red Daughter said. "I just wanted to meet her. To see what it was about her that was so special."

Kara closed her eyes for a moment, breathing out a sigh of relief.

"She defended you, you know. She said you care for people, that you protect them, inspire them, give them hope. She said you stood on an alien world, with no power, and no hope of rescue, and told evil men that if they wanted to hurt the innocent, they would have to go through you. She said you would die to save someone's life, anyone's life, and that you would be at peace with it."

"She said all that?" Kara asked.

"Yes," Red Daughter. "I think she even believed it."

Kara opened her eyes and looked at Red Daughter. "It's true."

Red Daughter shook her head. "No. No, you defend the corrupt. Just look outside, and you'll see it. Poverty, oppression, racism, xenophobia, strife, civil unrest. This country is plague of the world. The American Dream is snake oil. Tell me, who sold it to you? Was it your Alex?"

"No. I landed in America because that's where my cousin landed. My ship followed his navigational beacon. He placed me with the Danvers so I could have a normal life."

"Normal? Why would you want to be normal? Your life could have so much meaning. You could end war and poverty. You could take the world in hand and remake it."

"That's Lex talking," Kara said. "I saw the plans. You really think a war between Kaznia and America is going to make the world better? People will die."

"People have already died!" Red Daughter stormed over and shoved the gun in Kara's face. "You're America is a nation of butchers, and you're just as guilty as they are. You let them murder anyone they want."

Kara watched as the green lines of Kryptonite crawled up Red Daughter's throat. Red Daughter's face twisted in pain as she started to waver.

"You know, for saying that you want to know your enemy, you don't know me at all. For instance, that pain you're feeling, you've only felt it for the past couple of months. But me… I've been dealing with Kryptonite for 4 years."

Kara jerked her wrists apart, and the room filled with the echo of shattering metal as one of the links in the chain gave way. It wasn't as easy as it would have been if she was at full power, and the jolt of pain that ran up her arm was probably a hairline fracture, but fighting through blinding pain was another thing she'd been doing for four years. She shot to her feet, grabbing the loose end of the chain in her right hand, and the lump of Kryptonite in her left. It was like wrapping her hand around a hot iron brand, but she held on, and slammed the Kryptonite into Red Daughter's face. Red Daughter stumbled back and the gun went off, and fire erupted in Kara's left arm. Kara staggered back, and saw Red Daughter trying to line up a better shot, so she swung the chain, wrapping it around Red Daughter's throat, with the lump of Kryptonite resting in the hollow of her throat.

Red Daughter screamed in pain, and Kara ran. She threw herself out the window and fell. The further she got from the Kryptonite, the more the effects faded, until she felt gravity lose its hold. The moment she could, she shot off at full speed and headed for National City.

* * *

It was just after 7:00 AM and Maggie sat on the couch waiting. Lena had come and gone hours ago, and Maggie had mixed feelings about the situation. Lena hadn't needed to work the lump of Kryptonite they'd found in Kaznia. She'd showed up with a bottle of Kryptonite Mace made with the same concentrated Kryptonite she'd developed during the whole Reign situation, along with pistol that worked on the same principal as the Kryptonite Laser in the Lexosuit, and with a sort of Kryptnite flashlight. It was just a lead lined tube that was sealed at one end with an iris valve. Press a button and the iris opened, and the extra potent Kryptonite inside emitted a beam of radiation that Lena promised was strong enough to bring down any Kryptonian. Maggie was glad she had a way to stop Red Daughter if she needed it, but she hated the idea that Lena had weapons which could hurt Kara just laying around. All she could really do was add it to her 'to be dealt with later' list, which was already getting far to long for her tastes.

There was a knock on the door and all thoughts of Lena vanished. Maggie was off the couch and headed towards the door before the echo died away. J'onn wasn't very far behind, but Maggie reached down door and jerked it open, the alien gun in her hand. Kara stood outside the door, clutching her left arm as blood spread down her sleeve.

"Come in," Maggie said.

Kara nodded and stepped inside. Maggie closed the door, holstered the alien gun, then turned to her.

"Can you get the coat off?"

"Not by myself," Kara said. "I can't really move my arm."

"What happened?" J'onn asked as Maggie untied and unbuttoned Kara's coat.

"Did Maggie fill you in on what we found in Kaznia?" Kara asked.

"I did," Maggie said. "But there's more. Red Daughter came to see me just after you left."

"I heard," Kara said.

"You saw her?" Maggie asked. "Did she do this?"

"Yeah," Kara said.

"Drop your arm," Maggie said. Kara lowered her right arm, and Maggie eased the coat off Kara's shoulders, eliciting a small whimper as she slid it down past the bullet wound. It took another second, then she had the coat off.

"Get her into the kitchen," J'onn said. "I'll get the medical supplies."

"Right," Maggie said. She led Kara into the kitchen, and sat her down at the table, then took a seat next to her. John came back a minute later with everything they'd need to deal with a bullet.

Maggie picked up a saline eye wash ampule. "Not going to lie. This is going to hurt like a bitch."

"I know," Kara said. "I've dug one out with my fingers before."

"Damn," Maggie said. "You're way more hardcore than I thought."

Kara laughed, and Maggie felt herself smile.

"You ready?"

"Do it."

Maggie irrigated the wound with the saline, then picked up the forceps and probed the wound, forcing herself to ignore the sounds of pain Kara was making. Once she found the bullet, she opened the forceps slowly, until she felt the bullet slip between the jaws. She pushed in, just a bit, then clamped down, and pulled. The bullet came out in a single piece, and the hole in Kara's arm closed as soon as the forceps cleared the edges of the wound. Maggie dropped the bullet on a steel tray J'onn has sat on the table and grabbed a couple of alcohol wipes and started cleaning Kara's arm.

"You know, as traditions go, patching holes in each other's arms isn't one I want to keep up," Maggie said.

Kara smiled. "Tell me you still have the drive with the evidence on it."

"Of course," Maggie said. "Now tell us what happened."

"I took the evidence to CatCo, and uploaded it, then told James what was going on. Once that was done, I called Cat and asked her to get me in to see the President. I told him everything we found and gave him the files showing his Chief of Staff had signed off on the transfers. He had his guards put a bag over my head and take me to a hotel. They told me they'd scrubbed the CatCo servers of my evidence, and that they were going to hold me until the President said to release me. I knocked them out and was on my way out of the hotel room when Red Daughter showed up. She had a lump of Kryptonite. She knocked me out while it weakened me. When I came to, she had me tied up. She was going to kill me."

"Fucking bitch," Maggie said. "I'm sorry, Kara."

"For what?" Kara asked.

"I had her. When she came into the apartment, we talked. I managed to get my hand on the case with the Kryptonite, but I didn't use it. I tried to convince her to let us help her. I tried to convince her we weren't her enemies. I just couldn't stand the thought of what Lockwood and the DEO would do to her if they got their hands on her, but I should have taken her down."

"No, Maggie," Kara said. "You did the right thing."

"She hurt you. She could have killed you."

"But if you'd turned her over to the DEO, they'd know you that you know, and Baker is working with Lex, so they'd come after you. Lex knows who I am, and he wants me dead. Right now, everyone I care about is in danger. You, James, Lena, Alex, Nia, Brainy, J'onn."

Kara turned to J'onn. "We've got to tell Alex. She has to know I'm Supergirl. She has to know why she's in danger."

J'onn shook his head. "You can't, Kara," he said. "Look, when I wipe somebody's mind, I close off neural pathways. Alex's psyche has already compensated for the missing memories. They're walled off. If you tell her the truth, it's like you're taking a sledgehammer to that wall, forcing two realities together. She could go insane."

Kara shook her head. "No," she said, her voice cracking as tears welled up in her eyes. "No, J'onn… No. This can't be forever."

Maggie watched as Kara started to break down, but something inside her just snapped, and she was on her feet. "You took Alex's memories without a way to give them back?" She grabbed the front of J'onn's shirt and shoved him back against the wall. "Did you tell her? Did you tell Alex that this was permanent?"

"Of course I did!"

Maggie shoved him against the wall again and turned away. "Of course. Of course. That's just Alex fucking Danvers."

"There was no other way," J'onn said.

"YES THERE WAS!" Maggie spun around. "She could have resigned. She could have walked away."

"Maggie," Kara whispered.

Maggie turned to Kara, who reached out and took her hand. Maggie dropped down into the chair next to Kara. "This can't… If she… If she never gets her memories back then we can't… I know it's not what I should be thinking about right now, but…"

Kara looked past her, at J'onn. "There has to be a way."

"I mean, maybe if she finds out on her own, remembers on her own. Maybe," J'onn said.

"That's the best you can do?" Maggie asked. "What about M'gann? She's a stronger telepath than you. Could she fix it?"

"I don't know," J'onn said.

The door opened and Maggie shot to her feet, drawing the alien gun and pointing it at the person coming through.

"J'onn, I need your help," Brainy said. Maggie let out a sigh of relief as she lowered the gun. Brainy looked at her and Kara. "Kara, Detective Sawyer. What are you doing here?"

"Long story," Maggie said.

"Where's Alex?" Kara asked.

"She's looking into the Supergirl clone. Red Daughter. Lena told us everything."

"She's going to get herself killed," Kara said.

"Don't do this," J'onn said.

"Take me with you," Maggie said.

Kara lifted Maggie into a bridal carry, and they were gone.

* * *

"Can I help you, ma'am?" the agent behind the counter in the lobby asked.

Maggie held up her DEO ID Card. "Maggie Sawyer. I'm here to see director Danvers."

The agent took the ID card and slipped it in the reader. She gave a small nod and passed the card back to Maggie. "Director Danvers should be in the Control Center, ma'am."

"Thank you." Maggie took the card back from the agent and headed over to the elevator. She hit the call button and once the doors opened she stepped inside, holding the door for just a second to give Kara time to zip inside at superspeed. Kara stood directly under the security camera in the corner of the elevator, and Maggie had to fight to keep from rolling her eyes. She'd told them a dozen times they needed two cameras or a fisheye camera to ensure full coverage in the elevator, but they still hadn't upgraded.

Maggie swiped her badge on the reader and hit the button for the commend level, and then hit the priority button, which overrode any other calls along the way.

"Good to see she hasn't revoked my clearance," Maggie said.

Kara gave her a weak smile as they road up to the command level in silence. The door opened, and Maggie waited a second until Kara had disappeared at Superspeed, then stepped out and headed for the command center.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" an agent asked as she stepped into the command center.

"Where's Director Danvers?" Maggie asked.

"Central Monitoring," the agent said. "Do you need an escort?"

"That's okay, Agent. I remember my way around."

Maggie headed down a side hall towards the nerve center of the DEO's surveillance system. Once she was out of site of the command center, there was a stiff breeze, and Kara was walking by her side in a full DEO tactical uniform.

"I don't know if my access code will still work," Maggie said.

"If it doesn't, I know Alex's code," Kara said.

The arrived at the door, and Maggie punched in her code. The panel turned green. She pulled open the door.

Alex looked up from the terminal she was working at. "Kara?"

Maggie turned and looked at Kara for a moment. Kara did a quick spin and was in her Supergirl suit.

Alex's eyes went wide. "You can't be here!" she said.

"Alex, turn off the cameras," Maggie said.

Alex reached down and hit a button on her belt, and the read recording light on the security camera went off. Then she looked at Kara again, and shook her head.

"I'm sorry," Alex said. "I just… for a second, I could have sworn you were Kara."

"You never noticed how much they look alike before?" Maggie asked.

"No," Alex said. She shook her head. "What are you to doing here?"

"Brainy said you were hunting Red Daughter," Kara said.

"Yeah," Alex said. "I've hunted Rogue Kryptonians before."

"Not one like this," Maggie said.

"What do you mean?"

"She knows everything about anyone connected to Supergirl," Kara said. "Which means, she knows everything about you. Where you live, where you work, how you killed Astra, how you took down Reign."

"How?" Alex asked.

"The how isn't important right now," Maggie said. "She came after me last night."

"What? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Maggie said. She pulled back her jacket to reveal the alien gun on her hip.

"There's more," Kara said. "President Baker is working with Lex."

"How do you know?" Alex asked.

"It's a long story," Kara said. "Will you take my word for it?"

Maggie could feel the weight of the question hanging in the air. It should have been a simple thing but given everything that had passed between Supergirl and Alex since the mind wipe, it wasn't. Alex didn't hesitate though.

"Yes," she said.

"Good, because when you find her, you're going to need me," Kara said.

"She's going to need both of us," Maggie said. "We're all in this together. Agreed?"

Kara and Alex both nodded. "Together."

* * *

Maggie stood next to the table in one of the DEO Labs. Kara lay on the with four DEO issue yellow sun lamps beaming down on her while Alex charted the signature Kara gave off as she burned the solar energy.

"How does it feel to burn sunlight?" Alex asked.

"Warm. Fuzzy," Kara said. She looked over at Maggie. "It feels like a really good kiss. The kind that makes your toes curl and your head swim."

Maggie felt her cheeks heat up a little bit.

Alex glanced over at Supergirl and followed her gaze to Maggie. A big smile spread across her face, before she turned back to the computer.

"Is it working?"

"I think so," Alex said. "If she's really a copy of you, she should burn Sunlight the same way. I've got the Satellites scanning for your solar signature. Once we eliminate anywhere we know you've been, we should be able to track her moments."

Maggie turned at the sound of the door opening and drew down on the woman standing there. "Hands where I can see them!"

The woman's hands went up. "Danvers, what the hell is going on here?"

"Step inside and close the door," Maggie said.

"Maggie, put the gun down," Alex said.

"Supergirl?" Maggie asked.

"Do it," Kara said.

Maggie lowered the gun.

"Who the hell are you?'' the woman asked.

"Maggie Sawyer, who the fuck are you?"

"I'm Colonel Lauren Haley."

Haley stepped into the room and closed the door. She looked over at Alex.

"You brought an enemy combatant into the DEO?"

"That was me," Maggie said. "I slipped Supergirl past security."

"You want to explain why, before I have you arrested?"

"Colonel, Supergirl is not the enemy here. She and Maggie are here because we were right. Supergirl did not attack the White House."

"Then who did?" Haley asked.

"She's a copy of me," Kara said. "A sort of clone."

"The President knew, too. Baker's working for Lex Luthor."

"And Lex is going to attack the US, backed up by the fake Supergirl and the whole Kaznian army," Maggie said.

"You have proof?" Haley asked.

"All you could ask for," Maggie said.

"Then I guess we had better work together on this," Haley said.

Alex and Haley both headed back over to the computer where Alex had been working. Maggie used the chance to pull Kara away from them.

"You holding up okay?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," Kara said.

"It's okay not to be," Maggie said. "When this is over… Shit. I guess I can't even promise you that anymore."

Kara took her hand. "We'll find a way," Kara said. "I promise you we will find a way to fix this. Don't give up hope yet."

Maggie smiled. "Infiltrating a top-secret government facility and a speech about hope from Supergirl. This is not how I expected my day to go."

Kara smiled at her. "Yeah, but, it's better, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Whenever I'm with you, it always is."

"We've got something," Alex said.

Maggie let go of Kara's hand reluctantly as they both turned to look at the screen.

"Well, Red Daughter's been busy," Kara said.

"Project Claymore. You remember it?" Haley asked.

"I remember every secret government space laser I've blown up," Kara said. Maggie had to fight to keep a smile off her face.

"I hated that they hid it from me, so I went to DC to ask around," Haley said. "The beam from Claymore was powered by an unknown energy source. There were six engineers involved in R and D, and when I tried to track them down, I found out they all got put to bed with a shovel in the last two weeks in these locations."

"So Luthor's trying to get a hold of Claymore technology," Alex said.

"We need to find him and stop him from getting it, but right now, our priority is finding Red Daughter. If we triangulate these hits, can we get an address?" Kara asked.

"These are all downtown National City," Alex said. "Different times of the day and night. Do you think she's living here?"

"Yes," Maggie said.

Alex gave her a look, but she got distracted by a beep from the computer.

"1114 Cedar Street, National City California, 96997," Alex said. "It's an apartment building.

"Can we check the names on the leases?" Maggie asked.

"I'll try," Alex said.

"Look for anyone named Linda," Maggie said.

"Apartment 401," Alex said. "Linda Lee."

"That's the one," Maggie said.

"How do you know?" Kara asked.

"She told me to call her Linda."

"We won't be able to send back-up. Not without knowing who we can trust," Haley said.

"It's fine," Kara said. "I'll find her alone."

"The hell you will," Maggie said.

"Maggie-"

"We have an agreement."

"She's dangerous," Kara said. "She's already come after you once."

"I'll be there to watch her back. I'm coming too," Alex said.

Maggie and Kara both turned to Alex. "No," they said in unison.

"It's too dangerous, you'll both be safer here," Kara said.

"I'm going," Maggie said. "Together. You promised."

Kara looked at her, and for a moment, Maggie thought she was going to keep arguing, but she just sighed and nodded. "Okay."

"Great," Alex said. "Now let's go."

Maggie and Kara both turned towards her. "You're staying here," Maggie said.

"What? Why?" Alex asked.

"Because it's too dangerous," Kara said.

"You're taking Maggie, and she never fought a Kryptonian before," Alex said. "I have."

"You don't have Kryptonite in your corner this time, Danvers," Maggie said. "Besides, there are things you don't know, and we don't have time to fill you in." She turned to Kara. "Let's go."

Kara picked her up, and before Alex could argue, they were gone.

* * *

"Wait," Maggie said.

"For what?" Kara asked.

Maggie reached into her jacket and extracted a set of lockpicks.

"We don't have time for that," Kara said.

"It's a cheap lock," Maggie said as she pulled a tension tool and a rake out of her pick set. "Thirty seconds or less." She slipped the tension tool into the lock and twisted, putting the pins under tension, then raked the pins once, and the door popped open. "Like I said, cheap lock."

Kara rolled her eyes. "Show off."

Maggie shook her head as she packed up her picks. "If we need to, we can leave, and no one will know we've been here. We couldn't do that if you broke the door."

Kara gave her a look.

"Go ahead," Maggie said.

Kara entered the apartment, and Maggie followed. She only got a couple of steps inside, before the creepy feeling started.

"It looks like your apartment," Maggie said.

"Yeah," Kara said. "She's stalking me."

"That would explain a lot," Maggie said. "Like how she knew about us."

"How long do you think she's been watching?"

"I don't know. Can you…" Maggie waved her hand. "Super speed search?"

Kara nodded. "Don't move."

"Right."

For a moment, it was like the room was filled with a tornado, but then it was over, and Kara sat on the bed, holding up a journal. Maggie walked over and sat down next to her.

"Did you read it?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah."

"Anything interesting?"

"There was a boy named Mikhail. She rescued him. Saved him from people who were trying to rob his house. He was killed in an American missile strike on Kaznia."

"What? When?" Maggie asked.

"Around the time I went to Smallville," Kara said. "That's what she meant."

"What do you mean?"

"I told her that if there was a war between Kaznia and America, people will die. She said people have already died. That America is a nation of butchers, and I'm just as guilty as they are. That I let them murder anyone they want."

"So, she blames you for Mikhail's death," Maggie said.

"Yeah," Kara said.

"Hey."

Maggie and Kara both turned towards Alex as she walked into the apartment.

"Alex! What are you doing here?" Kara asked.

Alex sat her helmet down on the foot of the bed. "You think I'm going to sit this one out?"

"No," Maggie said. "God forbid you listen to what anyone else wants."

"Is there a problem?" Alex asked.

Maggie just shook her head. "No."

Alex frowned and looked around. "Why does this place look so much like my sister's apartment?"

"Alex…" Kara said, but Maggie held up her hand to stop Kara.

Both of them watched as Alex looked out the window.

"Oh, my God," Alex said. "I can see Kara's loft from here. It's like she's stalking her."

Maggie considered it for a moment. J'onn had said that Alex might be able to recover her memories if she figured out Kara was Supergirl on her own, or if she remembered on her own. Alex was smart, and she was almost as good a detective as Maggie was. Maybe, with a push in the right direction, just a nudge, Alex could figure it out.

Maggie looked over and Kara and mouthed a question. "Trust me?"

Kara nodded.

"She is," Maggie said.

Alex turned towards them. "What?"

"Red Daughter is stalking Kara," Maggie said.

"Why?" Alex asked, her voice shaking. "What does Kara have to do with all of this?"

"Think about it, Alex," Maggie said. "When we first walked into the room with you this morning, what did you see?"

"What do you mean? I saw you and Kara… I mean…" Alex closer her eyes and shook her head, swaying slightly. "I saw you and Supergirl."

"When was the first time you saw Supergirl?" Maggie asked.

"The night she rescued my plane," Alex said. "I thought I was going to die, and I looked out the window, and I saw… I saw…"

"What did you see, Alex?" Maggie asked.

Before Alex could answer, her phone started ringing, and Maggie cursed under her breath as Alex reached for her phone.

"I'm sorry," Alex said as she looked at the screen. "I have to take this." She hit the accept button and lifted the phone to her ear. "Mom, hey, um, is everything all right?"

The look on Kara's face shifted from one of worry to pure panic, and a chill ran down Maggie's spine.

"Oh, good. Is she okay?" Alex asked.

"Red Daughter is there," Kara said.

"What?" Alex asked, looking at Kara.

"Eliza. She's in danger. Tell her to get out!" Kara said.

"Go!" Maggie said. "We'll be right behind you."

Kara vanished at super speed.

"Mom, are you still there? Mom?" Alex called desperately into the phone, but she didn't get any response.

"She won't answer," Maggie said as she came to her feet. "Grab your helmet and let's go."

Alex shoved her phone in her pocket and grabbed her helmet as they headed towards the door. "What the hell is going on?"

"Red Daughter went after Eliza to draw out Supergirl," Maggie said.

"But why? How is Eliza connected to Supergirl?"

"Because she's connected to Kara," Maggie said. She headed for the staircase not wanting to wait for the building's shabby elevator.

"What does Kara have to do with Supergirl?" Alex asked.

"Think about it," Maggie said. "What did you see the night your plane went down?"

"Supergirl," Alex asked. "Why do you keep asking that?"

Maggie sighed in frustration as she reached for the dimensional extrapolator. The interface was a little hard to work with, but she pulled up one of the presents programmed into it.

"Where's your bike?" Maggie asked as they exited the building.

"This way," Alex said as she headed towards the side of the building. Her Ducati was parked in the alleyway. Maggie waited until Alex got on, then climbed on behind her.

"I don't have a spare helmet."

"Doesn't matter, we're not going far. Turn the bike around and head towards the back of the alley."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it."

Maggie held on with one hand and lifted the extrapolator with the other. Once Alex had the bike pointed towards the back of the alleyway, Maggie activated the extrapolator, and a portal sprang to life. "Go!" she yelled, and Alex goosed the throttle.

* * *

"Eliza?" Kara called out as she reached the top of the stairs.

"Kara," Eliza said, her voice quivering in fear.

Kara watched as Red Daughter lead Eliza in from the balcony. "Don't hurt her, please."

"I've been here for hours," Red Daughter said. You have all these things. You think they will make you whole?"

"No," Kara said. "No. I don't."

"Then why do have them?"

"Lots of reasons," Kara said. "Some of them because they make me comfortable. Some of them because they have memories attached to them. Some of them because they help me look human."

"Weakness," Red Daughter sneered.

"No," Kara said. "I told you last night, we're the same, and we are. We've both lost things we care about. I watched my family die. I was twelve years old, and everything I loved burned in front of my eyes. My world. My culture. My home. My family. All of it. I'll never be whole again. Everything I've done has been about protecting people, so that they never have to go through that."

"You protect individuals. People with money. People with power. People who are important to you. It's weakness. I protect the collective."

"You protected Mikhail," Kara said. "You saved him. You cared about him. He was an individual, and he was important to you."

"Interesting that you should bring up Mikhail-"

"You believe Americans killed him," Kara said. "I know. But you're wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Lex has been lying to you. I know you have doubts about him."

"His name is Alex!" Red Daughter shouted.

"No, it's not," Maggie said.

Kara turned to see Alex and Maggie at the top of the stairs. Maggie had a gun out in front of her, an ominous green light coming from the barrel.

"His name is Lex Luthor," Maggie said.

"Kara?" Alex asked.

"No," Maggie said. "That's Red Daughter."

"I don't understand," Alex said. "She looks just like Kara."

"She's a clone of Supergirl," Maggie said.

"Then why does she look like Kara?" Alex asked. "Why is she here?"

Kara turned back to Red Daughter. "Maggie's right. His name Lex."

"He hates the name Alex," Maggie said.

"No!" Red Daughter said.

"Alex, call Lena. Put her on speaker," Maggie said.

Kara glanced over, and watched Alex take her phone out, and call Lena.

"Hello, Alex," Lena said. "Can this wait? I'm a little busy right now."

"It can't," Maggie said. "I need you to answer a question for me. I need you to be complete honest."

"Okay," Lena said, sounding confused.

"What does your brother think of the name Alex?"

"He hates it," Lena said. "He once got expelled from boarding school for breaking another boy's nose because the boy called him Alex."

Red Daughter shook her head.

"Thanks Lena," Maggie said.

"It that all?"

"Yeah."

Kara had to fight down the urge to kiss Maggie just because she was brilliant. She turned back to Red Daughter. "He's been lying to you the whole time."

"No," Red Daughter said.

"Linda, please," Maggie said. "Remember what I said last night. We're your family. Me, her, Alex, Eliza, and so many other people. We want to help you."

"Maggie's right," Kara said. "Lex has lied to you, manipulated you, made you do terrible things. But you can still stop it."

Red Daughter shook her head. "No. You're lying." The words sounded less like a statement, and more like a plea. Like she needed them to be true.

"No we're not," Maggie said. "Lex has control of President Baker. That means he has control of the American government. It was an American missile that killed Mikhail, but Linda, Lex gave the order."

"NO!" Red Daughter screamed. She shoved Eliza away and lunged for Maggie. Kara caught her halfway there and took her out through the French doors separating the den from the balcony.

* * *

"Shit!" Maggie said as she watched Kara force Red Daughter outside. "Alex, take care of your mom!"

She didn't wait for an answer, she just barreled past Alex and headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time. When she got outside, she looked around, trying to find them. A flash of light caught her eye and she turned towards it, and saw Red Daughter carried up into the air by a blast of heat vision, and she started running again. It was hard going, into the woods, across uneven terrain. She only caught glimpses of the fight. She almost stumbled when the sky suddenly turned black, but she recovered and kept going. The only thought on her mind was to get to Kara, to protect her.

She broke through the tree line into a cleaning, and the scene before her stopped her heart. Alex had beaten her there, and Maggie cursed herself for forgetting about the bike. It was parked up near the street and Alex lay on the ground up near it, struggling to get up and favoring her left side. Kara lay in a crater, and Red Daughter stood over her.

Maggie didn't hesitate. She drew the alien gun and the Kryptonite gun and opened up with both of them. The Kryptonite gun staggered her, and the alien gun knocked her back a good 30 feet. Maggie lowered the guns and ran to Kara's side, dropping down beside her.

"Kara," she said as she grabbed one of Kara's hands in her own. "Kara, are you okay?"

Kara didn't answer. Maggie reached for her neck, trying to find a pulse. Trying to find any sign of life, but there was nothing. Her chest didn't rise and fall, there was no rhythmic swell of the artery in her neck.

"Kara," Alex screamed as she dropped down next to her. "Kara. No. No! No, no, no, no. No! Hey. No." Maggie watched as Alex leaned down and pressed an ear to Kara's chest. "You can't go now." Alex sat up and took Kara's other hand. "I remember everything. Kara, we're here, we're here. We're here together. And I know you. I know you better than anybody knows you. And I know that you don't quit. So you can't go now! Kara, you can't go!"

Maggie sat back as Alex pled with Kara to live, to get up, to stay, and she couldn't breathe. It felt like a massive weight was pressing down on her chest, like a fist was crushing her heart. It was like the day Kara had fought Lex all over again, only it was a thousand times worse, because this time she knew what she was losing. This time, she knew what it felt like to hold Kara, and to me held in return. This time, she knew the sweet, tart taste of Kara's mouth when they kissed. This time, she knew the warmth of Kara pressed against her side as she drifted off to sleep. This time, she knew the way her heart skipped when Kara smiled at her. This time, she knew what it felt like to dream of a future where she got to come home to Kara every day for the rest of her life, to finally hear Kara say the words she'd asked her not to say. This time, she saw everything she'd never get to have. Game nights, and date nights, and family dinners, and double dates with Nia and Brainy, or Alex and her girlfriend, and going to Argo to meet Kara's mom, and taking Kara to meet her aunt Juanita, and adopting a dog and spoiling it rotten, and going to those ridiculous galas that CatCo threw every year, and buying Kara ridiculous amounts of candy for Valentine's day just to see how excited she would get.

It was gone. It was all gone. Kara was gone, and she'd taken Maggie's hope with her.

Kara was gone, and she had nothing left.

A part of her, the larger part of her, wanted nothing more than to get up and lay into Red Daughter. To use everything she had. The Kryptonite Pistol, the Kryptonite Flashlight, the Kryptonite Mace, the alien gun. Just tear into her like an animal and not let up. She didn't know if she could win. She didn't think she could. She'd probably never even get close to Red Daughter before Red Daughter cut her down. But a small, seductive voice in the back of her head whispered that it would be better that way. No more pain. No more suffering. No more being alone.

The only thing that stopped her was the flash drive in her pocket. She had to live, because Lex Luthor had to pay. It wouldn't take much. She had the extrapolator. One of the presets was Cat's home in Washington. Cat would know what to do with the flash drive, with the evidence that Kara had found.

After that... Maggie didn't know, and she didn't care.

"Alex…"

Maggie turned towards the voice, and saw Eliza standing at the side of the clearing. The look on her face hit Maggie like a blow to the chest. It was the look of someone who understood the tragedy playing out before her and was bracing herself to comfort someone who would never be able to accept it.

"It's okay. Mom, she's She's okay. She's gonna be fine. It's just dark, so there's no sunlight," Alex said.

"Sunlight!"

The word echoed through the clearing like a gunshot, and it took a minute for Maggie to realize she was the one to say it, but Alex and Eliza both turned towards her.

"She just needs sunlight!" Maggie said. She reached back, past the Kryptonite mace and the Kryptonite flashlight and found what she was looking for. One of the sunlight grenades she'd taken from Kara's apartment the night before.

"Is that sunlight grenade?" Alex asked.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Close your eyes." Maggie it the activator button and rested the grenade on Kara's chest, then squeezed her eyes shut. Even then, the flash that followed was nearly blinding, but she heard a gasp, and when she opened her eyes, Kara stared up at them.

"I'm here. I'm here. I've missed you so much," Alex said.

"I really missed you," Kara said. She turned to Maggie. "I..."

"I told you, you can't make me love you and then leave."

* * *

The three of them sat in the living room of the Danvers house. Kara in the middle, Alex on one side, and Maggie on the other. Neither one of them wanted to let go of Kara's hand, or step away from her for even a moment, but the atmosphere in the room was strangely thick with things that hadn't been said. Maggie avoided looking at Alex because she was afraid of what she would see in Alex's eyes. There were so many possibilities. Anger, pity, disgust, fear.

She couldn't take any of them. Not right now. Kara had died, and Maggie's hope had died with her, but Kara had come back, and Maggie needed to hold on to hope a little longer, before reality crushed her one last time.

"Alex," Kara said.

"Yes?"

"Can you give us a minute?"

Maggie opened her eyes and looked over at Alex. She wasn't sure how to interpret the look on Alex's face. Part of her was expecting an explosion, and part of her was expecting tears and pain. Instead, Alex looked… Not calm, neither of them could possibly be calm after what they'd seen, but there was a softness in her eyes that Maggie didn't understand at all.

"I'll go check on mom," Alex said.

Maggie watched Alex until she disappeared down the stairs, then turned to Kara, only to find herself being kissed. It was frantic and desperate and needy, and Maggie wasn't sure how she ended up straddling Kara's lap, or when the tears started spilling down her face.

"That's the second time I've watched you die," Maggie said between kisses.

"I know," Kara said.

"I can't do it again," Maggie said.

"I can't promise that."

"I know."

"I need to say it," Kara said. "I nearly left you, and I've never said it. I know I promised, but-"

"Say it," Maggie whispered.

"I love you," Kara said, before kissing Maggie again. "I love you, I love you, I love you." She repeated it over and over again, kissing Maggie each time, clutching Maggie tightly like she was afraid the universe would snatch them apart at any moment.

After the last kiss, Maggie rested her forehead against Kara's and closed her eyes. "I love you too," she whispered. "I love you. You can't leave me, /,kahrah,/. You can't."

They set there for a long time, just holding each other, just being together, until both of their phones started ringing. Maggie hopped up and pulled out her phone and accepted a call from Lucy.

"Hey," Maggie said.

"Where's Kara? Is she okay?" Lucy asked frantically.

"Hey, Cat," Kara said. "I'm a little banged up, but I'll fine by morning."

"She's right here," Maggie said. "Why?"

"You don't know?" Lucy asked.

Kara reached down and picked up the remote as Alex and Eliza came rushing into the room.

"Turn on the TV," Alex said.

"Just a second," Maggie said.

Kara turned on the TV, and President Baker's face filled the screen.

"…an invasion of our country by the dangerous rogue state of Kaznia, aided by none other than Supergirl," Baker said. The screen switched to video of a Lexosuit fighting Kaznian jets. "These images, captured moments ago, prove that one man single-handedly thwarted the invaders and killed the terrorist, Supergirl. That man is Lex Luthor. Mr. Luthor, a grateful nation thanks you."

"Lucy," Maggie said, "Kara's safe. Alex has her memories back. Let your dad know, Baker is in on everything. He knew about the invasion ahead of time."

"Fuck!" Lucy said. "Motherfucker!"

"Yeah," Maggie said. "I have to go."

Maggie ended the call.

"Cat, listen to me," Kara said. "You need to get Carter, Lucy and Susan and get somewhere safe. I have everything I need to expose Lex, but when I do, it's going to bring down the entire administration. Baker was up to his eyeballs in this. Okay. I've got to go. I love you, give my love to Carter, Susan and Lucy."

Kara hung up the phone. "How did this happen?" she asked.


	17. The Quest For Peace

Notes: Two chapters today. Don't forget to read the second one once your done with this one.

This chapter contains canon dialog from the episode "The Quest For Peace"

* * *

March 30, 2019

Kara turned off the TV and dropped the remote on the coffee table.

"I have to stop him," Kara said.

"Kara, you barely escaped with your life. And he has a weapon that killed Red Daughter," Alex said.

"He did experiments on her in Kaznia. He knew how to take her down, but he still needed Red Daughter to kill me."

"You basically died."

"But I survived. And Lex doesn't know that. That's to my advantage."

Lex and the President have succeeded in convincing the people that all aliens are dangerous. That Supergirl is the enemy," Eliza said.

"And Lex is the hero," Alex added.

"It doesn't matter," Maggie said. "Lex knows that Kara is Supergirl, so the moment Kara Danvers turns up, we all become targets."

"Wait, Lex knows?" Alex asked. "How?"

"Lillian would be my guess," Maggie said.

"Maggie's right. It doesn't matter. I have everything I need to expose Lex and Baker. I just need to get back to National City and write the article, and I can put an end to all of this."

"What if they don't listen? What if they don't believe you?" Eliza asked.

"They will," Kara said. "I have the truth, and I have Alex and Maggie, and that's all I need to change the world."

* * *

Maggie sat across the kitchen table from Alex, nursing a glass of Eliza's best scotch. Kara had gone about three rounds with Alex and Eliza over whether or not she should go back to National City that night. She'd only agreed to spend the night in Midvale when Maggie had asked her. Not argued, not insisted, just asked. She'd told Kara that she hadn't slept the night before, and that she wasn't up for another fight, and didn't want to be left behind when Kara went back to National City.

Once Kara had agreed to spend the night in Midvale, Maggie has excused herself and headed to the bathroom. She was pretty proud of the fact that she'd only thrown up twice. Kara had knocked on the door after the first time, but she hadn't forced her way in. When Maggie had asked Kara to give her a few minutes, Kara had respected that, even if Maggie had been able to hear the reluctance in her voice.

Once she was sure that her stomach had settled, she'd rinsed her mouth, and headed out. She'd been surprised to find herself alone in the house with Alex. Alex had told her Eliza had taken Kara down to Home Depot to pick up replacements for the doors Kara had destroyed getting Red Daughter out of the house. Then she'd led Maggie to the kitchen and poured them both a drink. After that, they'd spent nearly half an hour sitting across from each other, not saying a word. Maggie wasn't sure how much longer that was going to last, because the tension in the room was slowly becoming unbearable.

"You can ask," she said, when she couldn't take it anymore.

"How long have you and Kara been together?" Alex asked.

"We're not," Maggie said. "Not technically."

"But you have feelings for her," Alex said.

"I'm in love with her," Maggie said. "I don't think I've ever loved anyone the way I love her."

"Not even me?" Alex asked.

"No. Not even you." Maggie sighed. "You know, if you'd asked me a few weeks ago, I would have said that you were the love of my life. But I didn't love you enough to change for you. I didn't love you enough to compromise. If I had, maybe we'd still be together. But four days ago, my boss gave me an ultimatum. Promise I would help bring in Supergirl, or hand in my badge. I handed in my badge. I gave up being a cop. I did it for her, and I don't regret it one bit. She made me realize who I am, and who I want to be, and I am the best version of myself when I'm with her."

"How did it happen?" Alex asked.

"You know part of it. I got caught in an ambush just after Thanksgiving. It was supposed to be a simple raid on a warehouse. Seize some of the IR masks from the Children of Liberty. It went south before we even made it into the building. Kara showed up and saved our asses. I was kind of a bitch to her, but you know Kara. She was nice, and she was kind. When the shit at Shelley Island went down, I called to check on her. She needed to someone to vent to about what happened, so we went out for donuts. We got to be friends. Then the mindwipe happened, and I found Kara shit faced in the back of Al's bar. She wouldn't let me take her back to her apartment, so I took her to mine and let her sleep it off. After that, she would come to me with all the stuff she couldn't go to you about. You threatening to arrest her. Lockwood being made the Director of Alien Affairs. It wasn't one sided either. She came to me after Valentine's day to make sure I was okay. She helped me talk through a lot of stuff. But I liked being there for her. I liked being the person she came to, or the person she called when she didn't want to be alone.

"Then, I watched her die. Or at least, I thought I did. Lex slammed that globe down on her, and it was like my whole world ended. I couldn't breathe, and it felt like someone had reached down my throat and was crushing my heart in their hand. When I found out she was alive, it was like the world started turning again. That's the day I realized I'm in love with her.

"I tried not to be. I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't want it to happen. I didn't go looking for it. It just happened. I just looked at her and realized that I didn't want to live my life without her in it. But I didn't want to hurt you. I tried to tell myself it couldn't happen, that I couldn't be with her because it would hurt you. Because it would drive a wedge between the two of you, and losing each other would destroy you both, and I knew I couldn't do that. But then, you were standing there, telling me that she and I should be together."

"That's why you got so angry about it," Alex said.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Because you were standing there, telling me I could have exactly what I wanted, but…"

"But you thought if I knew who Supergirl was, I wouldn't want the two of you to be together."

"Yeah. It was like the universe was playing some cruel joke on me. But the longer it went on, the more time Kara and I spent together, the more I started to hope."

"She has that effect on people."

Maggie laughed and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, she does. I tried not to get my hopes up, you know, but I thought maybe when you got your memories back, I could just talk to you. Tell you how I felt and ask you if it would be okay."

"Does she know how you feel?" Alex asked.

"Seriously? Alex, I have not been subtle. I'm pretty sure Cat Grant has figured it out, and she'd four thousand miles away."

"She feels the same way?" Alex asked.

"It's not my place to say, but you need to have that conversation with Kara that she wanted to have when she got back from Kaznia."

"I can do that," Alex said. "In fact, I'll do that as soon as she and mom get home. Can I ask another question?"

"Of course."

"That night I went over to Kara's apartment and you were there…"

"We haven't slept together," Maggie said. "Or, well, that's all we… Fuck. We haven't had sex, if that's what you're asking."

"Yeah, I probably shouldn't have asked that."

"I suppose it's a fair question," Maggie said. "But some of this is hard to talk about because it's treading close to things that you really should hear from Kara."

"Right," Alex said. "Why didn't you say something before now?"

"I didn't have a chance. I realized how I felt about Kara the day Lex escaped. The next day, we were in Lena's apartment and you were telling me I should be with Supergirl. After that I couldn't exactly show up on your door and ask if it was okay if I took your sister on a date when you thought I was in love with someone else."

"Good point," Alex said. "I probably would not have reacted well to that."

"I'm a little surprised at how well you're reacting to this," Maggie said.

"Honestly, I am too," Alex said. "I think a lot of that is that I got to see the two of you together without knowing it was Kara. The way you are around her… You love her. You really, really love her."

"I do," Maggie said.

"I don't know if I could have seen that if I saw you and Kara together first. I think I might have just assumed it was you trying to get back at me for what happened."

"I wouldn't do that," Maggie said. "Alex…"

"I know," Alex said. "The thing is, something happened while you and Kara were in Kaznia."

"What?"

"I got a call from the adoption agency," Alex said.

"That's… That's great," Maggie said.

"No, not really," Alex said. "For about ten hours, I thought I was going to be a mom. But the birth mother… She changed her mind at the last second. I was sitting in a hotel room, picking out cribs and strollers and baby clothes, and the phone rang, and it just all got snatched away."

"God, Alex… I'm sorry."

Alex shook her head. "When it happened, it took me back to that night you left. It felt like all the progress I made was just stripped away. Everything I ever hoped for, everything I dreamed of was just gone, and all of that pain that came with losing you, all of the work I did to try and move on, it was all for nothing.

"When I got my memories back today, when I sat up there on that couch, holding Kara's hand, and watching the two of you, I remembered what that felt like, and I remember what you said the other night when you came over to borrow my gun. That Supergirl has someone who meant the world to her, and you weren't sure if they would be okay with you and her being together, and that you hoped they would understand how much she means to you."

"She means everything to me, Alex."

Alex reached out and took Maggie's hand in hers and gave it a small squeeze. "And she feels the same way. I know you can't say it, but I also know that if she didn't, we'd be having a very different conversation. I can't put the two of you through the kind of pain I went through when I realized I couldn't be with you. I love both of you two much for that. So, if this is what you want, and what she wants, then I'm okay with it."

"You are?" Maggie asked.

"I meant what I said that night, at Lena's apartment. I don't want you to hurt anymore. I want you to be happy. I want you to fall in love, and have someone who's there for you, and who loves you, and who makes you happy. I'm sorry I couldn't be that person for you, but if that person is Kara, I can't think of anyone I would trust more with your heart, and I can't think of anyone I would trust more with hers."

"You know, Danvers, you never cease to amaze me," Maggie said.

"Well, I am pretty great."

"Yes, you are," Maggie said.

* * *

"There," Kara said as she slipped the last hinge pin into place. "Good as new."

Eliza made a non-committal noise that let Kara know she'd probably spend the weekend repainting the whole room, despite the fact that the doors were an exact match, color wise, for the old ones. It wasn't anything new. Half the house had been repainted five or six times by the end of the first year Kara had lived there. It was something Eliza needed to do to feel like the damage had really been erased, and Kara had stopped trying to understand it a long time ago.

"You sure you've gotten all the glass up?" Eliza asked.

"Yes," Kara said, knowing it wouldn't stop Eliza from vacuuming at least three more times.

"Okay," Eliza said. "Thank you, sweetie."

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you about her," Kara said. "It never even occurred to me that she might go after you."

"It's okay, sweetie," Eliza said. "You got here in time."

"But she could have hurt you. She could have killed you."

Eliza sighed. "Sweetheart, there's a conversation I used to have with Clark back when we spent a lot of time together. He used to blame himself for not anticipating the things his enemies would do, like you're doing now. I'll tell you what I told him. It's easy for an evil man to anticipate what a good man will do, because an evil man will feel no horror at the possible choices a good man will make. It's hard for a good man to anticipate what an evil man will do because the mind of someone who feels compassion, empathy, and love will recoil in horror at the possible choices an evil man will make. You couldn't anticipate Lex sending her after me, because you would never go after someone through their family."

"But I knew he would go after Alex and Maggie," Kara said.

"That's different," Eliza said. "They're right there with you in National City. They're in the middle of the fight. They're a threat to him."

Kara sat down on the sofa and scrubbed her face with her hands. "I still feel like I'm not doing enough."

Eliza sat down next to her and hugged her tightly. "I know sweetie. You always feel that way. Because you have a good heart, and you can't stand to see people suffering."

"I just don't understand how people can be filled with so much hate."

"I wish I had an answer for you, but I don't. I'm just glad you and Alex are okay."

"I'm glad you're okay too."

"I was surprised to see Maggie," Eliza said. "I didn't know you and Alex still talked to her."

"It's mostly just me," Kara said. "We… We're close."

"Oh," Eliza said, in a tone that made it clear she understood what Kara was saying. "How did that happen?"

"I ran into her at a crime scene right after Thanksgiving. We started talking after that, and it was nice. Having someone I could talk to about things that I couldn't go to Alex or J'onn with. After J'onn wiped Alex's memories, she was the only one I could really go to about things. I don't think I would have made it through all of this without her."

"Does Alex know?"

"She knew Maggie had feelings for Supergirl, which means she knows Maggie has feelings for me. I don't know if she realizes that I feel the same way," Kara said.

"Then I think maybe you should go have a talk with your sister," Eliza said.

Kara closed her eyes as a lump of dread settled into her stomach, because there was a very real chance that when she had that conversation, she would lose Alex, or Maggie, or both, and she didn't think she would survive any of those.

"It will be okay, sweetheart," Eliza said.

"Promise?" Kara asked.

"I promise," Eliza said. "Your sister loves you. It might take her a little time to adjust, but she will."

"Last time she needed a little time to adjust, it took four years," Kara said.

"I think it was closer to five months," Eliza said. "She met Maggie in October, and she came out to everyone by Valentine's day."

"Given that I'm about to go ask if she minds if I date the girl she came out for, that's not really comforting."

"Yeah. Now that I think about it, bringing that up probably wasn't my finest moment as a mother," Eliza said.

Kara laughed and shook her head. "It wasn't as bad as that time you forgot to tell us you were going out of town for a conference and then didn't answer your phone for three days."

"It's been more than a decade, Kara. You and Alex need to let it go."

"We thought you'd been kidnapped."

"Kara…"

"Alex was going to call the FBI."

"Go talk to your sister, before I forget the recipe for Chocolate Pecan Pie."

* * *

Kara peeked over the staircase railing and looked into the kitchen. She saw Maggie and Alex both sitting at the table with a drink in front of them.

"You can come down now, Kara," Alex said.

Kara sighed and walked down to the bottom of the stairs, then headed into the kitchen.

"How do you always do that?" Kara asked as she walked over to the fridge to get herself a bottle of sparkling water.

"I'm just that good," Alex said.

"She could see your reflection in the kitchen window," Maggie said.

Alex glared at Maggie. "You sold me out!"

Maggie shrugged. "My allegiance has changed."

Kara sat down next to Maggie, who reached over and took her hand, threading their fingers together.

"Alex and I had a long talk while you and Eliza were out," Maggie said.

"Really?" Kara asked.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "I figured there were some things she needed to hear from you, but she knows most of it, and she's okay. We're okay."

Kara closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief as the knot of dread in her stomach slowly untangled itself. Maggie gave her hand a small squeeze.

"Do you want me to leave while you and Alex talk?"

Kara looked over at Alex. "Is it okay if she stays?" Kara asked.

Alex smiled at her. "Of course."

Kara took a deep breath. "So, um… Krypton. Yeah. I should start with Krypton, because that's where all of this started, really. I mean, that's where I started, and you know, social and cultural norms were different there. Like, parents would start looking for a future mate for their children around eleven or twelve to give them time to make sure the betrothal could happen by the time we were fourteen."

"I remember you mentioning something about that," Alex said. "But you told me you weren't betrothed."

"I wasn't," Kara said. "But I had this friend. Thara Ak-Var. I adored her. We spent all of our free time together. She was from one of the minor houses, but I asked my father if he could arrange for us to be betrothed."

"You wanted to marry a girl?" Alex asked.

"Thara was my best friend," Kara said. "We knew each other so well we could finish each other's sentences. I couldn't imagine ever being that close to someone else. It wasn't a common practice for a child to express such a desire. Most Kryptonians never met their spouse before the betrothal ceremony. But the House of El was always a bit odd about such things. There was never a formal commitment, but there would have been, if Krypton hadn't exploded."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Alex asked.

"Because it hurt too much," Kara said. "In a way, losing Thara hurt more than losing my parents. I got to say goodbye to my mom and my dad. The last thing I said to Thara was that I'd see her at our next lesson."

Kara tried to swallow the lump that was forming in her throat. She felt Maggie slip an arm around her and leaned into it. The feel of Maggie pressed against her side made the ache forming in her chest lesson a bit.

"By the time I could even think about talking about Thara, I'd picked up enough Earth culture to know that humans were weird about sexuality, and you, Jeremiah and Eliza all kept telling me to act normal, to blend in, so I just pushed it down, kept it to myself. I ruled out the idea that I might want to be with a woman, because it would stand out and attract attention."

"Why didn't you tell me when I came out?" Alex asked.

"Because it felt like it would be something else I was taking from you," Kara said. "You found this piece of yourself, and I just wanted you to have that. I wanted for once in our lives, for you to have something that was just yours. Something you didn't have to share with me."

"Oh, Kara," Alex said. "I wish you had told me. It would have made it easier, knowing you understood."

"I'm sorry," Kara said.

"No," Alex said. "I'm the one who should apologize. Mom and I always told you to be normal, to blend in. I don't think either of us realized how much of yourself you cut off to do that. Kara, I am so sorry you had to carry all of that alone."

"I almost told you. After the Daxamite invasion, I almost told you. But then Cat took the job as Press Secretary, and there didn't seem to be any point."

"Where you and Cat…?"

"No," Kara said. "I cared for her, and when she came back, I thought maybe we could be, but she left again, and I just didn't see the point."

"But then you developed feelings for Maggie," Alex said.

"She does seem to have that effect on us Danvers women," Kara said.

"Maybe we should keep her away from mom."

"Hey, it's not my fault Danvers women have no chill," Maggie said.

"It kind of is, actually," Kara said.

"I've got to agree with Kara on this one."

Maggie laughed and shook her head but didn't hide the faint blush creeping up her neck. Kara had to force herself to look away, before she leaned on and kissed her.

"So, um… How do you identify?" Alex asked.

"Pansexual," Kara said.

"And you want to be with Maggie?"

"Yeah," Kara said. "When I saw her back in November, I told her she was still family, and when she reached out a few days later, I wanted to make good on that. We started talking, and I really needed someone to talk to. There was so much going on, and I knew that you and J'onn were blaming yourselves for things, and I didn't want to add to that. Maggie was someone who would listen and help me sort through my own feelings. She made me feel like it was okay to have those feelings, like I didn't have to be perfect. And she made me feel like I could be me, and she would still love me.

"I'm not human, Alex. I think most people forget that, because I look so much like you, because I've spent so long trying to blend in and pretend. But I grew up in a culture that had a very different view on what a relationship should be. On Krypton, relationships were partnerships. They weren't about lust and passion. They were about people coming together, sharing burdens, caring for each other in times of need. Your partner is meant to be a source of strength and comfort.

"That's what Maggie has been to me. A safe space. Someone who cares for me. Someone who lets me be Kara Zor-el. That's why I fell in love with her. The romance, the passion, the desire, all of those things are there, and they're amazing, but she makes me feel at home."

"Why didn't you tell me the two of you were spending time together?" Alex asked.

"I didn't want to hurt you," Kara said. "I know how hard you struggled to get over Maggie, and you were doing so good. You were dating, and you were working on your adoption portfolio, and you weren't hurting. Not like you had been. I was afraid if I brought up Maggie, it would send you into a spiral. And I'd only seen her a few times before the mind wipe happened, and when it did, I didn't know how to tell you, because I didn't know any way to explain it that didn't involve Supergirl, so I started hiding it. Do you remember that day you came over with breakfast, and I wasn't home?"

"Vaguely. You said you spent the night at Nia's."

"That was the day after the mind wipe," Kara said. "I got drunk that night. Maggie found me at Al's bar, and she took me back to her apartment, because I couldn't stand the thought of going home. She spent the night with me after you threatened to arrest me on Parthas."

"I'm sorry," Alex said.

"Thank you," Kara said.

"When did you realize you had feelings for Maggie?" Alex asked.

"After the protest," Kara said. "We were talking, and I realized I wanted to kiss her and I kind of freaked out and panicked and ran away. I spent an hour just freaking out, trying to convince myself that nothing could happen, that I could stuff my feelings in a box and just ignore them the way I did for Cat. But then James got shot that night and Lex escaped and I just… I didn't really have time to get used to my feelings, to figure out how to bottle them up, and Maggie asked to see me after the fight with Lex, and she was upset because she thought Lex had killed me and I kissed her-"

"I kissed you," Maggie said.

"No, I kissed you," Kara said.

"You kissed. I've got it," Alex said. "Moving on."

"Right. So, yeah. We kind of did this whole 'we can't do this because of Alex' back and forth for a while, but with everything going on, we were together all the time, and it just got harder and harder and finally, we decided to talk to you about it when you got your memories back, and now, here we are."

"So, you just kissed the one time?" Alex asked.

"Um… No?"

Alex laughed and shook her head.

"You're not mad?" Kara asked.

"No," Alex said. "Kara, I love you, but I also know that you have the self-control of a kid in a candy store with her parent's credit card."

"That was one time!" Kara said.

Alex looked at Maggie. "It was one time, and five hundred dollars in chocolate."

"Eliza said food was okay. Chocolate is food," Kara whined.

Alex reached across the table and grabbed Kara's free hand. "Kara, I've already said this to Maggie, but I need to say it to you. I could never put the two of you through the kind of pain I went through when I realized I couldn't be with Maggie. I love both of you too much for that. So, if this is what you want, and what she wants, then I'm okay with it."

"Really?" Kara asked.

"Really," Alex said. "I'm not saying that it's not going to take some getting used to, but I really want both of you to be happy. So, just promise you'll be patient with me?"

"Of course," Kara said.

"And on that note, I'm going to head to bed," Maggie said. "Do you guys have a guest room, or something?"

"No," Alex said. "If you don't mind sharing with Kara, our bedroom is down the hall from the den on the left. Kara's bed is the one on the left as you go in."

"You're sure you're good with that?" Maggie asked.

"Cuddling only," Alex said.

Kara felt her cheeks heat up, but Maggie just laughed. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to Kara's cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," Kara said.

Maggie stood up. "Don't stay up too late. We have a government to topple tomorrow."

"I won't," Kara said.

Maggie smiled as she walked around the table. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to Alex's temple. "I love you, too."

"I love you," Alex said. "We'll be up in a few minutes."

Kara watched as Maggie disappeared up the stairs, then turned back to Alex.

"Thank you," Kara said.

Alex nodded. "Just promise me you'll take better care of her than I did, okay? I don't think I could stand to see her get her heart broken again."

"I promise," Kara said.

"Good," Alex said. "I'm giving you ten minutes to kiss her goodnight before I come upstairs. Starting…"

Kara was upstairs before Alex got the 'now' out.

* * *

March 31, 2019

Kara woke up slowly, which was unusual for her on a morning when she had to work. The first thing she was aware of what the scent. It was familiar. It smelled a bit like suntan oil, heavy on the coconut, but it wasn't. Shampoo. She smelled a whiff of a coconut scented shampoo. It was faint, faded, a couple of days old, but still there. Warmth came next, and with it, softness. She was pressed against someone's side, and there was an arm wrapped around her, and her arm around someone. She snuggled closer, smiling at the contact that soothed away the worry at the edge of her awareness. Sound was next. Two heartbeats, one close by, another further way. Air in and out of lungs two sets of lungs. The soft rhythm of sleep. The heartbeats were familiar, comforting. They made her feel safe.

She lingered there, on the edge of wakefulness, reluctant to let the morning claim her and take her away from warmth and comfort. She knew she shouldn't, she should be up and around, but she listened, and there were no sirens calling her, nothing demanded Supergirl's attention. She could be Kara for a few moments longer. Not Kara Danvers, not the mask she wore every day, but Kara Zor-El. Her truest self. A few moments without any of the masks she wore was a temptation hard to resist.

Minutes passed, stretching out as she drifted in and out of sleep, happier and more content then she could remember being in a long, long time. Like all the happy moments in her life, it came to an end before she was ready for it to. The heartbeat so close to her ear changed, and with it the tempo of the breathing of the person she was cuddled up to. Sleep became wakefulness, and Kara sighed as she was dragged up into the waking world against her will.

Kara looked up to see Maggie smiling at her.

"Morning, sleepy head," Maggie said.

"Morning," Kara said before she leaned up and kissed Maggie.

"NO KISSING!" Alex called from the other bed, which made Kara and Maggie both break down laughing.

"Sure," Alex said. "Mock my pain."

* * *

"Are you sure you're ready to go back?" Eliza asked.

"We don't have any choice, Mom," Alex said. "We need to take Lex down before he gets more than a foothold at the White House, or we may never be able to remove him.

"Alex is right," Kara said. "The sooner this is over, the better."

"So, do we have a plan?" Maggie asked as she sat down at the table next to Kara.

"Finish breakfast, then meet Lena and Brainy at Lena's office," Kara said. "They're expecting us in about an hour."

"And from there?" Maggie asked.

"We publish my article," Kara said. "Lena owns CatCo, which means we can access the CatCo servers from her office. With her access key, I can bypass editorial, and push the article straight out to the live servers and send out notifications to everyone who's subscribed."

"Good plan," Maggie said. "That still-"

Kara's phone rang, cutting Maggie off. She pulled it out of her boot, and checked the caller idea, surprised to see Cat's name. She hit the accept button.

"Hey, Cat," Kara said.

"Lucy, Susan and I are touching down in National City in five minutes. Where are you?" Cat asked.

"We're in Midvale," Kara said.

"What the hell are you doing in Midvale?" Cat asked.

"Right now, hiding," Kara said. "Lex knows my secret identity. We stayed here last night so he would think I'm dead."

"Meet me at CatCo as soon as possible," Cat said. "We need to end this."

"NO!" Kara said. "Lex is watching CatCo. If he sees you there, he might react."

"Then what do you suggest?" Cat asked.

"We're headed for Lena's office at LCorp. We should be there within the hour."

"Okay," Cat said. "Do you have a plan?"

"I do," Kara said.

"Be careful," Cat said.

"You too," Kara said. She ended the call. "Cat, Susan and Lucy are going to meet us at Lena's."

"Then we should get going," Alex said.

"Yeah, before we do, there's actually a couple of things you should know," Kara said.

"What things?"

"Lena and Nia both know I'm Supergirl and Nia is Dreamer."

"Oh," Alex said. She frowned for a moment. "Okay, the Dreamer thing explains a lot."

"You're not mad that I told Lena?" Kara asked.

"No," Alex said. "Kara, it's your secret. You're the one who gets to choose who to tell and who not to tell. No one else. Now, come on. We have a world to save."

"Can I finish breakfast first?" Kara asked.

* * *

Maggie leaned back against the back wall of the elevator as they rode up to the top floor of the LCorp building. She was holding Kara's hand, their fingers laced together, and Maggie couldn't quite believe how calming the simple contact was. Or how good the smiled on Alex's face as she watched them felt. There was still so much to do, so many obstacles in their way. Exposing Lex, clearing Kara's name, bringing down Lockwood, getting the alien amnesty act reinstated. Undoing the damage that Lockwood's propaganda had done. It would be years before the world really recovered from what had happened, even if Kara was able to bring down the entire corrupt administration. But somehow, that fight didn't seem like it was going to be so bad. Not when she knew that she and Kara would be together. Not when she knew that she was going to get to have a future with the woman she loved.

The elevator stopped, and Maggie glanced over at Kara.

"You ready?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah," Kara said. "Let's do this."

The door slid open, and the three of them headed for Lena's office. Lena's new assistant looked up at them and waved them through. They found a small crowd waiting for them inside Lena's office. Lena, Brainy, Cat, Lucy and Susan.

"Cat!" Kara said as she rushed forward. Cat opened her arms, and Kara stepped into them, hugging her tightly, and Maggie could see the relief on Cat's face.

"It's good to see you," Kara said.

"It's good to see you too," Cat said before she let go of Kara and stepped back. "If you ever scare me like that again, you're fired."

Kara laughed. "You can't fire me, Cat."

"You want to bet?" Cat asked.

Lucy and Alex both choked down a laugh, and Maggie couldn't stop herself from smiling. Even Susan had a grin on her face.

Kara just pulled Cat into another hug. "I really missed you."

"I missed you too," Cat said.

Kara let go of Cat and half turned. "You remember my sister Alex."

"Of course," Cat said.

"It's good to see you again, Ms. Grant," Alex said.

"And this is my girlfriend, Maggie," Kara said. She held out her hand, and Maggie stepped forward and took it.

"Ms. Grant," Maggie said.

Cat took her time looking Maggie over, and it was all Maggie could do to fight the urge to squirm.

"Weren't you dating Alex the last time we met?" Cat asked.

"Yes," Maggie said.

Cat looked back to Kara. "I'm going to want to hear that story as soon as we have a free moment."

Kara nodded. Cat turned back to Alex for a moment, and Maggie looked over to see Alex give Cat a small nod. Cat turned to Maggie.

"I suppose your acceptable," Cat said. "Just don't disappoint us."

"I'll do my best," Maggie said.

"See that you do," Cat said.

"Cat, be nice," Kara said.

"How long have you known me?" Cat asked.

"It's okay, Kara," Maggie said. "I have a feeling Cat and I are going to get along just fine."

Kara looked at Cat again and narrowed her eyes. "Be nice," she said in a tone that was much more Supergirl that Kara Danvers. Then she turned to Lena.

"Girlfriend?" Lena asked.

Kara nodded. "Alex got her memories back, and we talked."

Lena walked over to Kara and pulled her into a hug. "I'm happy for you," Lena said.

"Are we okay?" Kara asked.

"We're okay," Lena said. "What about you? I heard that you had a run in with Red Daughter."

"I'm fine," Kara said. "The Secret Service scrubbed my evidence from the CatCo servers, but Maggie still has a backup."

"What kind of evidence do you have?" Lucy asked.

"Proof that Lex has been working with Kaznia, that he has a clone of Supergirl called Red Daughter and that she was the one who attacked the White House, and that the government gave Lex alien prisoners from the DEO desert facility," Kara said.

"Not just the aliens from the DEO facility. J'onn J'onzz, Dreamer, and I have discovered that Lex has been transferring aliens rounded up by Ben Lockwood and bringing them to a private facility, where he's been siphoning their powers," Brainy said.

"My God! Where is this facility?," Kara asked.

"That information is forthcoming," Brainy said.

"Is that where J'onn and Dreamer are?" Alex asked.

"Hopefully. They have been abducted," Brainys said.

"What?" Lena asked.

"Dreamer's in danger?" Cat asked, a note of panic in her voice. Maggie turned to look at her, and Cat's face was completely ashen. "Why didn't you feel the need to share that information with us before now?"

"That is a rather strong emotional reaction for such an insignificant detail. Our plan is to save the aliens. Those aliens will simply include J'onn and Dreamer," Brainy said.

Cat turned to Kara. "I liked Winslow better than Barmy here. Can we trade back?"

Before Kara could answer, Lena's assistant walked into the office. "Excuse me, Ms. Luthor, this came for you," she said, holding out a large envelope.

Lena took the envelope. "Thank you," Lena said as she opened it.

"What is it?" Alex asked.

"It's an invitation to the White House from Lex," Lena said.

"Lena, you can't possibly be thinking of going," Kara said.

"If I don't go, Lex will come after the people I care about, and I can't have that happen," Lena said.

"Lena, we can take care of ourselves," Kara said.

"I know," Lena said, "but I need to buy you time to write the article, time for you to get it out there, and time for you to find Dreamer and J'onn."

Kara looked over at Maggie, and Maggie could see the desperation on her face.

"Lena, you don't have to go. This is all going to be over in a few minutes," Maggie said.

"I do," Lena said. "You know I do." She turned to Kara. "There's an upgrade for your suit in the top drawer of my desk. Write the article. Make it a good one."

"I will," Kara said.

Maggie watched as Lena walked out of the office, closing the door behind her.

"Kara, get started on the article," Maggie said as she handed Kara the thumb drive with all of the evidence on it. "Brainy, we need a location on the alien detention facility."

"We also need a way to extract the Harul-El from Lockwood," Alex said.

"I will have the location of the alien detention facility shortly. As for extracting the Harul-El from Lockwood, Lillian Luthor has developed a device to do so. I will use the time we have to make it portable."

"How many can you make?"

"As many as needed."

Maggie did some quick math in her head. "Do fourteen units. That way, everyone can carry at least two." She turned to Lucy. "If we send your dad the evidence, can he pass it on to people we can trust?"

"Yeah," Lucy said. "He knows a few people in the DOJ and the Cabinet we can trust."

"Good," Maggie said. "Alex, we're going to need weapons. Can you get to the armory at the DEO?"

"I'm on it," Alex said. "Susan, come with me."

"Yes, ma'am," Susan said.

"Ms. Grant, can we have a word in private?" Maggie asked.

"It doesn't seem like I have anything else to do," Cat said.

"Then let's see if Lena's assistant can find us an empty conference room."

* * *

"Well?" Kara asked.

Cat looked up from the article, and Maggie had to bite back a smile at the look of pure adulation on Cat's face as she looked at Kara.

"This is brilliant, Kara," Cat said. "This is the kind of journalism that I dreamed of when I founded CatCo."

"You really think so?" Kara asked.

"I do," Cat said.

"She's right, Kara," Alex said. "This is historic. Okay, people are going to be talking about this article like they did with Woodward and Bernstein."

"But will they listen to it?" Kara asked.

Maggie reached out and rested a hand on Kara's shoulder, and Kara looked up at her.

"They will," Maggie said. "Cat and Alex are right. This is going to change the world. Now, hit send, and let's take these bastards down."

Kara smiled and reached for the mouse. Maggie watched as she pressed the publish button on CatCo's content management system. The confirmation screen came up, and Maggie's phone chimed. She pulled it out and saw the alert she'd set for any time Kara published an article and tapped on it. It pulled up the front page of CatCo's site, and there, is black and white, was Kara's headline. 'How Lex Luthor Divided and Betrayed America.'

Maggie felt a swell of pride in her chest as she looked at Kara, who was smiling up at her. She couldn't stop herself from leaning down and kissing her.

"Oh, come on! I'm standing right here," Alex said, but when Maggie looked at her, she has an amused grin on her face.

"Get used to it, Danvers," Maggie said.

"You really should," Lucy said. "They're worse than a couple of teenagers."

Maggie glared at Lucy.

"Please don't give me any details," Alex said.

"Task executed," Brainy said. "Lillian Luthor's extraction device is now mobilized. We can use it to extract the Harun-El from Ben Lockwood's system whenever and wherever we encounter him."

"Great," Alex said. "We can use it to extract the Harun-El from James."

"True, but first, the time is exactly now," Brainy said.

"Time for what?" Cat asked.

"If my calculations are correct, Dreamer has just astral projected into this office," Brainy said. "If she is here. She is wondering in this exact moment how she can contact us. Because an astral projectee can place themselves in any environment, but they cannot interact with that environment."

"So how is this a good plan?" Alex asked.

"Dreamer's astral projection is pure dream energy, and as such, while she cannot interact with us, she can interact and ionize other energy. Electrons to be exact." Brainy walked over to the window, and exhaled, fogging up the glass. "Dreamer, concentrate your energy on the molecules in this water vapor, and ionize it."

"I think he means to write on it," Kara said.

Maggie watched as letters appeared on the window. 'Shelly islan'

"Shelley Island. Of course," Brainy said.

"She didn't finish the message," Maggie said. "She's in trouble."

"We need to go," Kara said.

"Brainy, take Cat with you to CatCo. Get James, have him bring his shield, and meet us at J'onn's," Maggie said. "Kara, I still have the extrapolator. We need to go to J'onn's and pick up some gear. Then we'll all breach to Shelley Island."

* * *

Maggie, Alex, Susan and Lucy were the first ones through the breach. Kara had argued, but Maggie had pointed out that with the inhibitor pylons in play, Kara, James and Brainy would be at a disadvantage, but they were used to fighting without powers. Plus, they were all wearing one of Winn's personal shields, and packing serious firepower raided from the DEO armory. Kara, Brainy and James were only a step behind them.

"The inhibitor pylons are offline," Kara said. "I still have my powers."

"Keep the yellow sunlight grenades handy incase they come back on," Maggie said.

Kara nodded.

Brainy walked over and opened one of the access panels on the pylon and hacked into the system with a wave of his hand.

"Where are J'onn and Dreamer?" Kara asked.

"It appears they're in the middle of a riot. What's worse, the alien power being collected in this factory, Lex has it set up to be discharged into a Claymore satellite," Brainy said.

"Claymore? I... I destroyed that," Kara said.

"This appears to be a newer, bigger, better Claymore," Brainy said.

"Can you tell where it's targeting?" Kara asked.

"The target is in deep space. Argo City," Brainy said.

"He's going to wipe out my family," Kara said.

"Like hell," Maggie said. "Brainy, can you tell where the satellite is?"

"I have its exact coordinates, but if it is your intention to send Supergirl to destroy the Satellite, it will not work. This satellite has a shield surrounding it which Supergirl will not be able to penetrate before the Satellite fires."

"When what do we do?" Kara asked.

"I may be able to hack into the power core and stop it."

"Okay," Kara said. "You do that. The rest of us will help J'onn and Dreamer."

Brainy nodded, then shot into the sky.

"Let's go find J'onn and Dreamer," Alex said.

The six of them started towards the building but stopped almost immediately when they heard a voice should, "Supergirl!"

Maggie turned around and saw Lockwood coming out of the trees with eight children of Liberty following him. Maggie turned to Alex.

"Me and my friends came here to deal with Luthor and the dangerous aliens that he brought here. But I'm so glad you came here too," Lockwood yelled.

Maggie looked over at Alex, who gave her a small nod. Both of them turned back to the children of liberty, drew their weapons, and fired. Lucy and Susan apparently had the same idea, because four of the Children of Liberty dropped like stones. One from the blast of the alien gun Maggie was using, one from the electric rounds in Alex's pistol, and two under the stun rounds from the DEO rifles. A second later, four more dropped as they fired again, and then off four of them hit Lockwood at once. He didn't go down though. He just staged back.

"I've got him," Kara said. She was across the distance between them in a blink, moving at super speed, and as she laid into him, Maggie spotted all the signs of Alex's fighting style. Kara had Lockwood down in three moves, and before he could get back up, she jammed one of the Harun-El extractors into his neck.

"We should hit the rest of them," Maggie said. "He said they were supercharged. He may have given them a half dose or something."

"Good call," Alex said. "Zap them and zip tie them. We'll clean up the mess later."

Before they could do either, an explosion knocked all of them but James and Kara from their feet. Maggie turned to see a Lexosuit in the air above them, just as another blast went off.

"It's Lex," Kara said.

"Go!" Alex shouted.

Kara leapt into the sky and shot after Lex.

Maggie climbed to her feet, activated James's shield, and ran after them without a backward glance.

* * *

Kara and Lex crashed through the window of one of the upper floors of the Shelley Island complex. The impact broke them apart as they rolled across the floor and the ended up on opposite sides of the room. Both of them scrambled to their feet. Lex's suit retracted until he was just wearing the gauntlets, but with the Harun-El in him, that didn't make a lot of difference.

"How are you alive? How did you do it?" Lex screamed.

"How do you think I did it?," Kara asked. "I'm Supergirl."

"Just like your cousin. No matter how many times I stamp you out, you miraculously resurface with your glossy cape and your perfect hair."

"Let me let you in on a little secret, Lex. Truth and justice always prevail."

Lex gave a derisive laugh. "You and your cousin are such saps. Luckily, I came prepared." He touched a button on his gauntlets, and both of them lit up with the sickening green glow of Kryptonite radiation, and Kara felt the familiar burn.

"So did I," she said as she reached up and pressed the emblem on her suit, deploying the anti-Kryptonite armor Lena had built for her. "You can thank your sister for this."

Lex let loose with a blast of Kryptonite, but Kara blocked it, and rushed him. Lex zipped out of the way using his Harun-El given speed and fired again, but the chase was on, Kara rushing, Lex retreating. She chased him around and around the room, dodging blast after blast. The two were locked in a stalemate. Kara could never get close enough to bring him down, but she also couldn't return fire with the face shield in place, and the moment she opened it, the Kryptonite radiation would hit her full force.

Kara rushed him again, and he slipped aside and fired his canon, but Kara was ready, and dodged, right into a blast from the canon on his other arm. The hit sent her staggering, and the suit's alarm sounded, telling her the hit was more than the suit could shield her from. She found feel a hint of the Kryptonite burn seeping in as she staggered back.

"That's better," Lex said. "Now smile and take this like a Kryptonian."

Lex's canon lit up with a bright green glow, and Kara braced herself, ready to take the hit, but two things happened at once. Maggie came out of nowhere and stepped into the line of fire with only James's Guardian Shield between her and Lex, and something slammed into Kara's side hard enough to knock her through the opposite wall.

Kara heard a scream, and she shoved whoever was on top of her aside and rushed back through the opening in the wall. Her heart stopped at the sight that greeted her. Maggie lay unmoving on the floor, sprawled on her side, shield still strapped to her left arm, which bent at an unnatural angle halfway between her elbow and wrist. The alien gun lay next to her right hand.

The room closed in on Kara, the walls pressing down on her, crushing the life out of her, but she felt strangely stretched out across time and space. She retracted the helmet of her armor, desperately gasping for breath. She was on a rooftop three years earlier as Astra bleed out in her arms. She was in a warehouse two years earlier, watching as Alex's lifeless body floated in a tank of water. She was on Fort Rozz a year and half ago as Leslie died in her arms. She was in Reign's fortress a year ago as Julia sacrificed herself to stop Pestilence, and a few weeks later as Reign killed her mother, Mon-El, and Sam, and she was in her pod, decades ago, watching as Krypton exploded.

It was too much. She couldn't lose Maggie. She couldn't.

She felt rage bubble up inside her. The universe did nothing but take and take and it was never enough. It just drank up her suffering and her tears and laughed at her for daring to think she could be happy. For daring to hope that she could have something that brought her peace and joy.

"Well, that was a surprise," Lex said.

Kara felt the rage inside her crystalized with a single focus and a single target, and for one shining moment, she understood that Lex had been the author of all of her suffering since she arrived on Earth. Lex was the reason Clark had abandoned her. He was the reason Jeremiah was taken from her. He was the reason Clark didn't train her, and if she'd been better trained, Astra might be alive. Without Lex there would have been no Cadmus. If she'd started training sooner, maybe she wouldn't have had to seed the atmosphere with lead. If she and Clark were closer, maybe they could have stopped the Worldkillers sooner by working together. If it wasn't for Lex, maybe the Kryptonians on Argo could resettle on Earth. If it wasn't for Lex, Marsdin would never have been outed, Fiona would still be alive, the atmosphere would never have been seeded with Kryptonite, Manchester would never have betrayed her, Ben Lockwood would never have risen to power, Haley would never have come to the DEO, she never would have been fired, Alex would never have had her mind wiped, never threatened to arrest her, never become a stranger. She never would have been framed for murder. Red Daughter never would have been Brainwashed. Maggie would be alive.

She screamed as she turned, unleashing the full power of her heat vision, blasting Lex backwards. He slammed into the far wall, the top of his suit burned away, and angry blisters already welling up on his chest. Kara saw fear in his eyes as he scrambled to hit the activation button for the full Lexosuit. Kara never gave him the chance. She blasted him in the face with her heat vision, slamming him against the wall again, then shot across the room. Before he could move, before he could react, Kara tore the Lexosuit gauntlets from his arms, ignoring his screams and the sound of breaking bones.

"You killed her!" Kara roared as she hit him again and again, screaming each time, until he was nothing but a bloody, gibbering mess on the floor, but she could already see the blisters fading and the wounds closing. She deactivated the anti-Kryptonite armor and pulled one of the Harun-El extractors from her belt and shoved it into his neck. He screamed as the device sucked the Harun-El out of him, suddenly feeling the pain of what Kara had done to him. When the device was finished, Kara threw him aside, slamming him into the wall with a satisfying crunch. He fell to the ground, moaning in pain, but not moving.

Kara turned back to Maggie, and what she saw fanned the flames of her rage. Red Daughter was kneeling over her.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Kara yelled as she rushed back to Maggie's side.

Red Daughter jumped back, her hands up in a submissive posture.

"I would not hurt her," Red Daughter said.

Kara glared.

"I would not," Red Daughter insisted.

Kara dropped down next to Maggie and reached out a trembling hand, wanting to touch her face one more time, but a familiar sound stopped her in her tracks. The double thump of Maggie's heartbeat came again, slow but steady, and Kara watched in wonder as her chest moved with each breath.

"She's alive," Kara said.

"Da," Red Daughter said.

Kara looked up at Red Daughter, at the woman who'd tried to kill her the night before, the woman who'd tried to attack Maggie the night before.

"How can I help?" Red Daughter asked.

"Alex is on the beach," Kara said.

Red Daughter nodded and was gone.

* * *

Warm. She felt warm. So warm, like she was soaking in a bath. For a moment, she worried that she'd dozed off in the bath. A stupid, dangerous thing to do, but no. She was in bed. She could feel stiff, scratchy sheets, and a hand holding hers. She opened her eyes slowly, but the room she was in was thankfully dim.

"Maggie," Kara whispered.

Maggie looked over to her right, and saw Kara there, tears in her eyes, looking at her like she'd just hung the moon. "There's my girl," Maggie said.

Kara laughed as tears spilled down her cheeks. "You scared the life out of me," Kara said.

Maggie tried to reach out with her free hand, but the moment she tried to move it, pain shot up her left arm and she let out a little scream.

"Don't move!" Kara said. "ALEX!" Kara squeezed her hand tightly. "You got really banged up. Just stay still."

Maggie nodded. "Still. Got it." She looked down at her left arm which was locked in a 3D printed ridged nylon cast. She could see would dressings under it.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You broke your arm four places," Kara said. "They had to pin it back together and attach steel plates."

"I guess it's a good thing chicks dig scars," Maggie said. She looked back over at Kara. "I feel all warm and floaty."

"That would be the Dilaudid," Alex said. "Or maybe the concussion. Hard to tell."

Maggie looked over at the door and say Alex standing there with a worried look on her face.

"Hey, Danvers," Maggie said.

"You scared the shit out of us," Alex said.

"Sorry," Maggie said. "But I had to look out for my girl."

"Your girl can look out for herself," Kara said.

Maggie looked over at her, and winced, because the back and forth was making her a little motion sick. "We run towards danger together, /,kahrah,/," Maggie said. "You promised."

"I did," Kara said. "But Alex is right. You scared me."

"Didn't mean too," Maggie said. "I just saw the Kryptonite laser, and I panicked."

"Well, you saved two people's lives. Mine, and Red Daughter's," Kara said.

"She's alive?" Maggie asked.

"Officially, no," Kara said. "Unofficially, it's a long story, but she's alive."

"Did we catch Lex?" Maggie asked.

Kara frowned and looked down, and Maggie felt a sinking feeling.

"We did," Alex said. "He's actually in the next room, where he's probably going to stay for the next six months or so."

"What happened to him?" Maggie asked.

"I lost control," Kara said. "I thought he killed you."

Maggie squeezed Kara's hand. "I'm right here, /,kahrah,/. I'm not going anywhere. Except maybe back to sleep."

"Are you tired?" Alex asked.

"Very," Maggie said.

"That would also be the Dilaudid," Alex said. "Or maybe the concussion. Hard to tell."

"Are you going to do that thing where you wake me up every five minutes?" Maggie grumped.

"No. You need the rest." Alex leaned down and pressed a kiss to Maggie's forehead. "Get some sleep." Alex looked over at Kara. "Five minutes."

Kara nodded, and Alex left them alone. Maggie looked back over at Kara.

"I'm sorry I scared you," Maggie said.

"When I saw you laying there…" Kara shook her head. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

"I'm hoping we never find out," Maggie said. "I love you, /,kahrah,/."

"I love you too," Kara said. She stood up, then leaned down and kissed Maggie softly. "I have some things to do. Get some sleep. I'll be back as soon as I can."

* * *

Stepping into Lena's basement lab at LCorp felt strange. The last time she'd been down here, she hadn't exactly been made to feel welcome, and seeing herself in the cage that Reign had been locked it didn't help. Even if it wasn't really her.

Red Daughter looked up at her, and Kara wasn't sure how to begin. Even with Alex there beside her, she felt uneasy.

"Is Maggie okay?" Red Daughter asked. Kara wasn't ready for how small and scared Red Daughter sounded in that moment.

"She's got a broken arm and a concussion, but she'll be fine," Kara said.

"Good," Red Daughter said. "Tell her I'm sorry. Tell her she was right. He was not… Alex."

"She called you Linda," Kara said.

"He gave me name to use while in America. Linda Lee. When Maggie asked what she should call me. I told her to call me Linda."

"Is that what you want me to call you?"

"Does not matter," Red Daughter said. "Could I… Could I see Maggie before you kill me?"

"We're not going to kill you," Kara said.

"You should. I killed people. Hundreds of people. Your people. I am enemy. Of you. Of America. You should kill me."

"No," Kara said. "Lex lied to you. He tricked you. He convinced you that Americans killed Mikhail. You saw how I reacted when I thought Lex killed Maggie."

"You did not kill," Red Daughter said. "Maggie was right. She said that you are best person she knows. She was wrong about me. There is no good in me. I killed innocent people. I lead Kaznia to slaughter. I deserve to die."

"No, you don't. You made a mistake. You can still make up for it. You can help people. You can be better."

Red Daughter looked at her for a moment, then dropped her eyes to the floor. "Please, I would like to see Maggie when she is able."

"I'll ask her," Kara said.

"Thank you," Red Daughter said.

* * *

"I hate leaving her down there," Kara said as she and Alex road the elevator up to the ground floor.

"I know," Alex said. "I hate it too, but I can't take her to the DEO. The moment I do, she's in the system, and your secret identity will be blown."

"She thinks we're going to kill her," Kara said. "Worse, she thinks she deserves it."

"That's not going to happen, but I don't know what to do with her, Kara. She's dangerous."

"I know," Kara said. "Maybe we could send her to Argo. She wouldn't have any powers there."

"That's an idea."

"I hate this," Kara said. "Every bad thing she did, she did because of Lex. He ruined her life before it even got started."

"It's not your fault, you know," Alex said.

"I know," Kara said. "I just wish we could give her the kind of life she deserves."

"We'll figure it out. I just know we're not leaving her in a cage in Lena's basement."

"Good," Kara said.

* * *

Maggie stumbled as she stepped into the elevator, but strong arms closed around her before she could fall.

"Are you okay?" Kara asked. "Do I need to take you back to the DEO?"

"No," Maggie said. "I'm fine. Just tired."

Kara looked over at Alex, and Maggie felt a mixture of annoyance and affection. Annoyance that Kara was double checking with someone else, and affection because it honestly felt great to have someone who cared so much about her wellbeing.

"It's the concussion and the pain killers," Alex said. "She'll be tired all the time for the next week or so. She may fall asleep randomly. She'll have trouble concentrating, and there may be some short-term memory loss."

"Are you sure it's okay for her to come home?" Kara asked as she hit the button for the fourth floor.

"As long as she isn't left alone, it will be fine."

Maggie smiled as she adjusted the sling holding her left arm. "Hear that? You have to spend the whole week with me. Doctor's orders."

Kara bent down and scooped her up, one arm under her back, and one arm under her knees. "I suppose I'll survive," she said.

Maggie looked over at Alex. "Close your eyes, Danvers."

Alex rolled her eyes and looked away. Maggie leaned up and kissed Kara, then rested her head on Kara's shoulder. "I love you," she said.

"I love you too," Kara replied.

Maggie was asleep before they reached the fourth floor.

* * *

"Are you sure she's okay?" Kara asked as she finished tucking Maggie into bed.

"I promise you, she'll be fine," Alex said. "I never would have let her leave the DEO if she was in any danger."

"I know. It' just… I've gotten so used to her being this little ball of energy and drive and seeing her like this is scary."

"I get it," Alex said. "When I saw her on the floor in that room… Believe me, I get it. But you and me, we're going to take care of our girl, and she's going to be around for a long, long time."

"I love you," Kara said.

"I love you too," Alex said.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being okay with this. For…"

"Kara, I love both of you, and I want both of you to be happy. I'm not going to lie. It still hurts a little to see her with someone else, but it felt that way even when it was just Supergirl. I'm glad that it's you, because I know how fiercely you love, and I know that there's no one in the entire universe who will take better care of her. The fact that it's you makes it hurt less."

Kara pulled Alex into a hug, and Alex hugged her back just as hard as human arms could.

"Okay," Alex said a minute later as she broke the hug. "I'm going to run up to the Pharmacy and get her pain killers and antibiotics. Go ahead and order some dinner. Keep it mild. The pills might upset her stomach."

Kara nodded and reached for her phone.

* * *

April 1, 2019

Maggie woke up slowly, feeling a lot like she hadn't slept at all. When she was aware enough, she wondered if it was because she'd apparently fallen asleep sitting up. It was comfortable enough. There was an arm around her, and a fluffy blanket over her, and she had her head on a familiar shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked up.

"Um… You're not Kara," Maggie said.

Alex smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm not."

"Um… Where is she?"

"Putting out a fire down in South Bay," Alex said.

"Oh," Maggie said. "Sorry I um…"

"It's okay," Alex said.

"You sure?" Maggie asked. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Alex pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Go back to sleep. Kara will be here when you wake up."

"What about you?" Maggie asked.

"If you want me to," Alex.

Maggie tightened her arms around Alex and snuggled closer. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

Maggie closed her eyes and drifted off.

* * *

April 3, 2019

Maggie woke up to the sound of sharp, crisp knocking on Kara's door and Kara scrambling out of bed, cursing under her breath in Kryptonian.

"I've got it," Kara said. "Go back to sleep."

Maggie yawned and dropped her head down onto the pillow, which was ice cold because she'd been using a perfectly warm boob to rest her head. She decided, as Kara scrambled towards the door, that it was a good thing she had no idea where her guns were, because she would definitely shoot whoever had woken them up.

"Cat?" Kara asked, and Maggie opened her eyes again.

"Really, Kara. Still in bed? It's almost noon," Cat said.

She sighed, because shooting was out of the question. It if had been Lena, or J'onn, or Brainy, then sure. But shooting Cat would make Kara sad. Maggie reluctantly climbed out of bed and pulled on a robe when really, all she wanted to do was snuggle back up to Kara's boob and go back to sleep.

"I'm taking some time off work," Kara said.

"Yes, I heard. That hasn't stopped you from filing six stories in the last two days," Cat said. "Now, are you going to invite me on, or are you going to leave me standing in the hallway all day?"

"I'm sorry!" Kara said. "Come in."

"Thank you," Cat said.

Maggie finished getting her left arm in the sling, then stepped out of the alcove where Kara's bed was and gave Cat her best glare, which probably wasn't that good considering she was still half asleep and high as a kite on pain killers.

"Ah, just the woman I wanted to see," Cat said.

"Me?" Maggie asked.

"Yes," Cat said. "I wanted to let you know that I followed up on our little chat."

"And?"

"It's done."

"When?" Maggie asked.

"Seven weeks. I had to wait until the school year finishes."

"What are you two talking about?" Kara asked.

"My triumphant return to CatCo," Cat said. "Your girlfriend is quite persuasive when she wants to be. When she pulled me aside the other day, she pointed out that even if we brought down Lex, the damage he did to public opinion where aliens are concerned will take years to repair. She also pointed out that you and Nia couldn't do the work alone, and that I could do more to repair that damage as the head of CatCo than I could as a lobbyist in Washington. She also mentioned that LCorp might need an infusion of cash to help make up the damage Lex's embezzlement did, and she was right. I managed to buy the entire company off of Lena for two-thirds of what it's worth."

"You're coming back?" Kara asked.

"Yes," Cat said.

Kara wrapped Cat in a tight hug and picked her up, twirling her around as both of them laughed. Maggie smiled at the look of pure joy on Cat's face. She was a little surprised when Kara sat Cat down a moment later and rushed over to hug her.

"Thank you!" Kara said.

Maggie laughed and hugged Kara back with her good arm. "First rule of being a successful lesbian. Always give the ladies what they want."

Kara pulled back and stared at her for a moment, then leaned in and kissed her.

The kiss ended a minute later when Cat pointedly cleared her throat.

"If you two are done playing tonsil hockey, I have to head to the airport. I'll be back at the end of May. Kara, I expect you to be back at work by then."

"Of course, Ms. Grant," Kara said.

Cat turned to Maggie. "I heard you quit your job with the NCPD."

"I did," Maggie said.

"If you need something, I'm sure we can find a place for you," Cat said. "I hear you're quite the investigator."

"I'll think about it," Maggie said. "Thank you."

"Thank you for reminding me where I belong," Cat said, before turning and heading towards the door.

* * *

April 4, 2019

Maggie winced at the weird feeling of the thread sliding through her flesh as Alex pulled out the last stitch in her arm. What's worse is, she wasn't sure if she actually felt it, or if it was just her imagination filling it in. Either way, it was nails on a chalk board levels of disturbing, and she was really glad it was the last one.

Kara squeezed her hand. "I'm right here," she said. "It will be okay."

"There, all finished," Alex said as she dropped the stitch into the biohazard container.

Maggie looked at the long red lines where the incisions had started growing back together and sighed. "They're going to scar, aren't they?"

Alex nodded. "Probably," she said. "I'm sorry the incisions weren't cleaner, but your arm was really messed up."

"It's okay," Maggie said. "Just four more for my collection."

Kara leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "You know, I have it on good authority that chicks dig scars."

Maggie laughed and turned to give Kara a kiss before she could pull away.

"Okay, let's get the cast back on before the two of you start acting like teenagers on prom night."

* * *

Maggie was stretched out on the couch with her head in Kara's lap, while Kara petted her hair, and she was pretty sure she never wanted to move again. Alex had downgraded her from the serious painkillers to Vicodin, so, instead of being practically comatosed, she felt floaty, and a bit like the whole world was wrapped in cotton. It was a wonderful feeling, made that much better by the fact that she could stay where she was pretty much as long as she liked. She had her girl, she had a comfy spot, a warm blanket, and absolutely nothing she had to do. It was a foretaste of heaven. Right up until she heard someone knock on the door.

"Ehhh… Why do people keep bothering us," Maggie grumbled as she curled in closer to Kara.

"I don't know," Kara said.

"Well, toss them into orbit, then come back and cuddle."

Kara laughed, which wasn't fair because Maggie was totally serious. She leaned down and kissed Maggie on the forehead.

"Let me up, love," Kara said.

"No," Maggie said, in a tone that would make a two-year-old sound reasonable and undemanding.

The knock came again.

"You know they're just going to keep knocking until we answer, right?" Kara asked.

"GO AWAY!" Maggie yelled.

"I know you're in there, Sawyer," came the response, and Maggie frowned, because she knew that voice. She sat up and glared at the door.

"Who is that?" Kara asked.

"Debbie," Maggie grumbled.

"I'm not leaving," Debbie shouted through the door.

Maggie sighed. "Let her in."

Kara got up and opened the door.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi," Debbie said. "You must be Kara."

"Yes," Kara said. "And you are?"

"Detective Debbie Teigal. NCPD Science Division. I work with Maggie," Debbie said. "I was hoping to talk to her."

Kara turned and looked at Maggie, and Maggie just nodded. Kara stepped aside to let Debbie in.

"Thanks," Debbie said. She walked over to Maggie. "You mind if I sit?"

"I think last time I told you I'd shoot you with your own gun if you didn't," Maggie said.

Debbie sat down, and a moment later, Kara sat down next to Maggie.

Debbie gave Kara a pointed look. "I wanted to talk to Maggie."

"I'm not stopping you," Kara said.

"Yeah, Debbie," Maggie said. "She's not stopping you."

Debbie rolled her eyes. "I want to talk to Maggie alone," she said.

"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of my girlfriend," Maggie said.

"She's your girlfriend now?" Debbie asked.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Alex doesn't have a problem with it, so anyone who does can just fuck right off."

Debbie raised her hands in a placating gesture. "Sorry," she said.

"What are you doing here, Deb?" Maggie asked.

"Things are a little rough in the division right now," Debbie said. "After your girlfriend's article hit, people really started taking a look at the Children of Liberty. Turns out more than a couple of people in Science Division were chin deep in that shit."

"A police department full of racists and bigots? I'm shocked," Maggie said. "This is my shocked face."

"We're short about 8 detectives right now. Well, 9, really, since you quit. Isaacs…" Debbie reached into her pocket and pulled out a badge. "He was going to come himself, but I figured I needed to apologize too. You were right. Your girl was innocent. And we could really, really use your help. Isaacs said if you come back, you can have the Detective Sergeant slot. He'll even get you back pay to cover the time since you quit."

"Just like that, huh?" Maggie asked. "Just take my badge back and go out there and be a cop again."

"Yeah," Debbie said. "Isn't that what you want?"

"No," Maggie said. "Not even a little bit."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," Maggie said. "You wanted me to hunt down someone I knew was innocent. You wanted me to drag in a woman who had done nothing but good, who has done nothing but help people, knowing she wouldn't get a fair trial, knowing no one would listen to any evidence. You didn't want justice. You wanted a lynching.

"You know, I spent years telling myself that I could make a difference being a cop. That I did more good than harm. That if it wasn't me, then it would be someone else, someone who would care less. That people were better for having me carrying that badge. But it's all bullshit. The whole system is corrupt. No body gives a damn about justice. They just want to close cases."

"That's not true!"

"Bullshit," Maggie said. "Lockwood and the Children of Liberty were out there rounding aliens up, putting them in concentration camps, handing them over to doctors who were experimenting on them. We stripped them of their rights, locked them away without trial, called them roaches and freaks. We treated them like monsters, but the truth is, we're the monsters. So no, I don't want any fucking part of it."

"So, what are you going to do?" Debbie asked. "You've been a cop for ten years. What, are you going to go be a security guard now? A mall cop? Or do you think your girlfriend is going to support you?"

"I could," Kara said.

"Right, kid," Debbie said

"Don't call her that," Maggie said. "She's seen things that would make you piss yourself."

Debbie scoffed. "Right."

Maggie shook her head. "You know, I've already had two job offers, and I've got enough money saved up that I don't need to take the first thing that comes along. I'll be fine." She looked over at Kara. "I have my family. That's all I need."

"You're making a mistake," Debbie said.

Maggie turned back to Debbie. "No. I'm making a better choice. And I think it's time for you to leave." She pointed at her badge. "And take that with you."

Debbie stood up. "Fine. But if you change your mind…"

"I won't," Maggie said.

Debbie huffed, but she didn't say anything else before she left. Kara followed her to the door, and locked it, then sat back down next to Maggie and put an arm around her.

"Are you okay?" Kara asked.

Maggie smiled. "Yeah."

"You know… I haven't said anything, because… well, because you've been stoned out of your mind the last few days, but also because I thought it might be too soon, but if you wanted to move in here, it would save you having to pay rent and utilities."

"I have money," Maggie said.

"I know," Kara said. "But…"

"Ask me again," Maggie said.

"Move in with me?"

"Why?"

"Because I love you, and the thought of not having you here with me is unbearable."

"Okay," Maggie said.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Maggie said. "I don't think I could leave if I wanted too. I can barely sleep without you next to me."

"I don't know. You were sleeping pretty hard the other day when Alex was here."

"A poor substitute for the real thing," Maggie said. Kara laughed, and Maggie leaned it to kiss her. "I love you, /,kahrah,/."

"I love you too."

* * *

"I'll get it," Maggie said. She closed the fridge, and walked over to the door, wondering how many more people were going to stop by unannounced today.

"Wait, I'll get it," Kara said.

"Kara it's okay," Maggie said, rolling her eyes. She'd had to argue for five minutes to be allowed to get herself a bottle of water. The overprotectiveness was cute, but also a bit ridiculous. She unlocked the door, and swung it open, only to find Lena standing there.

"Hey," Maggie said.

"Hey," Lena said. "Um… Is Kara in?"

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Come on in." She stepped back to let Lena into the apartment, then closed the door behind her.

"Can I get you something?" Maggie asked. "A bottle of water, a glass of wine?"

"No," Lena said. "I'm not really staying long."

Maggie stared at Lena for a moment, unease growing in the pit of her stomach. Something about Lena told her this wasn't going to be a pleasant visit. "Okay. Well, go ahead and have a seat."

"Thank you," Lena said. She walked over and sat down in one of the chairs across from the couch. Maggie went back and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, then took a seat next to Kara.

"What's wrong, Lena?" Kara asked.

"Um… I don't really know where to start," Lena said. "I presume Cat has already told you that I sold CatCo back to her."

"Yeah," Kara said. "She came by yesterday."

"Good. I'm glad that's out of the way. Normally I would have told you that I was selling it, but given who the buyer was, I thought you'd be happy, so…"

"Lena, are you okay?" Kara asked.

"No," Lena said. "I'm not. I mean, I tried to be. After you told me that you've been lying to me the entire time we've known each other, I tried to be okay with it. I tried to understand. But the truth is that I'm hurt. You lied to me for years, and you only stopped because you were afraid you were going to get caught."

"Lena, that's-"

"Please, stop. Just… Just let me finish. This is hard enough as it is." Lena closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and when she looked at Kara again, her eyes were distant. Not cold, but just far away. "I know you felt you had your reasons, and looking back, I can see how some of the things I've done might make it seem like I have something against aliens. But I trusted you, and you violated that trust. You lied to me. For years. And I'm not sure how to forgive that. I'm not sure if I can forgive that. But whether I can, or not, I would appreciate it if you don't contact me for a while."

"Oh," Kara said. "Okay."

"I'll see to it that you still have access to the basement lab, until you've made other arrangements for Red Daughter, but for the time being, I think it's best if we don't speak. If Supergirl needs my help, I'll provide it, of course. But I don't want to speak to Kara Danvers for a while."

Maggie glanced over at Kara, and saw the tears welling up in her eyes.

"I understand," Kara said.

"Can you… Can you pass the message along to your friends? Alex, James, Nia, Brainy and J'onn."

"Of course," Kara said.

Lena turned to Maggie.

"I'm guessing the same goes for me?" Maggie asked.

"Yes," Lena said. "I had the account for your cell phone switched into your name. It's paid for the next five years, but you'll find all of the log in information to manage it in your email later this afternoon."

"Thank you," Maggie said.

"I would appreciate it if you could make arrangements to move Red Daughter as soon as possible," Lena said.

"We will," Kara said.

"Then, I'll show myself out," Lena said.

They watched Lena go, and as soon as the door was closed, Maggie put an arm around Kara and pulled her close as she started to cry.

* * *

April 5, 2019

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kara asked.

Maggie looked over at Kara and Alex, both of whom had worried looks on their faces.

"I'll be fine," Maggie said.

"She tried to kill you, Maggie," Alex said.

"Yeah, I do remember that part," Maggie said. "Look, she's in a cell, right?"

"Yeah," Alex said.

"So, no big deal. I go in there. I talk to her. See what she has to say. Then I go home and have dinner with my girlfriend."

Kara and Alex both gave her a dubious look, which was fair enough. Maggie was under no delusion that it would be anything close to that simple, but she just needed to get into the room with Red Daughter. Then she could figure out what to do next.

The elevator door opened, and Maggie stepped out. She followed Kara and Alex down a hallway to a reinforced security door, and Alex punched in a code. The door swung aside, and Alex stepped into the lab.

"Wow," Maggie said. "Really not digging the mad scientist vibe."

"I'm not that crazy about it either," Alex said. "But we couldn't really take her to the DEO. As soon as we did, she'd be in the system, and Kara's identity would be blown."

"I get that," Maggie said. "But this is creepy as fuck."

"No argument."

Alex lead the way over to the cell where Red Daughter was being held. Red Daughter looked up as they came around the corner.

"You came," Red Daughter said.

"Of course I did," Maggie said. "I'm sorry it took so long, but I've been on some pretty heavy pain killers."

"Are you well?" Red Daughter asked.

Maggie reached up with her right hand and tapped the sling holding her left arm. "Broken wing. Twice in six months."

"I'm sorry," Red Daughter said.

"Not your fault I stepped in the path of a death ray," Maggie said.

"I'm glad you are alive," Red Daughter said.

"So am I," Maggie said. "Kara said you asked to see me."

"I did. I wasn't sure if you would want to see me."

"Ah, well, you know me. Any time a pretty girl asks to see me, I'm there. Just don't tell Kara. She might get jealous."

Red Daughter got a confused look on her face. "She's standing right beside you."

Maggie smiled. "It's a joke," she said. She took a step towards the force field. "Why did you want to see me?"

"I wanted to apologize. You were right. Lex lied to me. He used me to destroy everything that mattered to me. I was fool. I… I am sorry I attacked you."

"I forgive you," Maggie said.

"You should not," Red Daughter said. "He told me, when he locked me in my pod, that I was foolish to ever trust him."

Maggie shook her head. "You never trusted him."

"Yes, I did."

"No," Maggie said. "You trusted Alex, and if there is one thing I know about /,kahrah,zor,el,/, it is that she will always trust Alex, on this world, or any other. And I can't say that is a bad choice. You trusted Alex, because every fiber of your being told you to trust Alex, even when you didn't know who Alex was. Lex took advantage of that. He pretended to be Alex. He pretended to be your family. He used you, and that is not your fault. He manipulated you, and that is not your fault. He kept you from people who would love you and take care of you, and that is not your fault. He turned you against them, and that is not your fault."

"But I hurt people for him. I killed for him."

"Yes, you did," Maggie said. "And nothing you or I or anyone else can say will change that."

"Then you should kill me. I should pay for what I've done."

"How does you dying help anyone?" Maggie said.

"Is justice," Red Daughter said.

"No," Maggie said. "You're as much a victim as the people you killed. You're as much a victim as Mikhail."

"You really think Lex had him killed?" Red Daughter asked.

"I'm as sure as I can be," Maggie said. "I imagine he'd even admit it, if you asked him."

Red Daughter squeezed her eyes shut, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "Why would he do this?"

"To make you hate us," Maggie said.

"Then it is my fault Mikhail is dead."

"No," Kara said. "It's no one's fault but Lex's."

Red Daughter looked up at Kara, then at Maggie, then finally on Alex.

"We met once, you know."

"We did?" Alex asked.

"In December. You came to Kara's apartment. You found me there, and thought I was her. You were surprised because she was supposed to be in Smallville. I lied. Said I forgot journal."

"That was you?"

"Yes. Lex brought me there to show me how she lived. I was supposed to leave, but I found journal. I started reading. I started to believe that Kara wanted to do good. That she had compassion, and empathy. I met Lena that day too. I started to doubt. And then… Then Mikhail died."

"I'm sorry," Alex said.

"It was not your doing," Red Daughter said.

Maggie looked around for a control panel, but she didn't see one, so she turned to Alex. "How do we turn this off?"

Alex looked at her for a minute, then turned around and picked up a tablet off a charging stand on the workbench. She touched a button on it, and the force field vanished.

"What are you doing?" Red Daughter asked.

"What someone should have done a long time ago," Maggie said as she walked over to Red Daughter and pulled her into a one-armed hug. Red Daughter hugged her back so hard that Maggie had a little trouble breathing, but she held on.

"I'm sorry," Red Daughter said. "I'm so sorry for everything I did."

"I know," Maggie said as she pulled back, breaking the hug. She took Red Daughter's hand. "Come on."

"But where will I go?"

"I don't know," Maggie said. "You don't belong in a cage."

"Maggie's right," Kara said. "You're family."

"And we take care of family," Alex said.

* * *

"This is mine?" Red Daughter asked.

"For now," Maggie said. "My lease is good through the end of September. After that, we can figure something else out."

"This is your apartment?" Red Daughter asked.

"Well, technically," Maggie said.

"But where will you live?" Red Daughter asked.

"With me," Kara said. "She was already planning on moving in."

Maggie didn't miss the surprised look on Alex's face, but decided that was a discussion for a later date.

"You're going to need a name," Alex said.

"Do you still want to be called Linda?" Maggie asked.

"No," Red Daughter said. "He gave me that name. I don't want it anymore."

"What do you want to be called?" Alex asked.

"I don't know. I never thought about it."

"How about Astra?" Kara asked.

Red Daughter looked over at her. "Astra?"

"I had an aunt named Astra," Kara said. "She was… she was wonderful. I loved her very much. But she was a lot like you. She made mistakes."

"What happened to her?"

"She died before she could fix things," Kara said. "But I think that she would have loved you. And I think she would be proud to have you carry her name."

"Astra," Red Daughter said, testing the name. She nodded. "I will be Astra."

Kara gave her a huge smile. "Astra Danvers," Kara said. "It has a nice ring to it."

Red Daughter… Astra looked at Kara in disbelief. "You would give me your family name?"

Kara looked over at Alex. Astra followed her gaze, and Alex smiled and nodded.

"You're family," Alex said.

Astra walked over and wrapped her arms around Alex so carefully it was as if she was afraid Alex would break, but the hug that followed was tight enough that Maggie saw Alex's feet leave the ground for a moment.

"Thank you… Alex," Astra said.

* * *

"That's the last of it," Kara said.

Maggie shook her head and patted the couch next to her. "You know, you could have waited until my arm was healed. I would have helped."

Kara came over and sat down, immediately wrapping an arm around Maggie and pressing a kiss to her temple. "I know, but I wanted it to be official. You're all moved in."

Maggie leaned into Kara and rested her head on Kara's shoulder. "You know you don't have to worry, right? I'm not going anywhere."

"I know," Kara said. "I'm just scared. Shelley island was hard. Seeing you… Thinking…"

"I know," Maggie said. "Believe me, I know."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"When Debbie was here, you said you'd had two job offers."

"Honestly, I've had more than two," Maggie said. "I have standing offers from GCPD, HCPD, and CCPD, plus a hand full of offers from private security companies. It's just, I've only had two offers I'd seriously consider, because all of the others would take me away from National City, and I have a really good reason to stay here."

Kara smiled and gave her a small squeeze. "Good. Because if I have to chase you across the country when Cat is coming back, I'm going to be super grumpy."

"Well, we wouldn't want that," Maggie said. "You were here when Cat offered me a job, but J'onn offered me one too."

"He did?"

"Yeah. We spent a lot of time talking that night you went to DC. He's got a lot more work coming in than he can handle alone. He's been considering hiring a partner, and when I mentioned I quit the NCPD, he said the job was mine if I wanted it. Of course, that was before I tried to shove him through a wall, so I'm not sure the offer is still good."

"I wouldn't worry," Kara said. "One time, Alex locked him in the basement of the DEO handcuffed to a steam pipe and he forgave her."

"Really?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah."

"That sounds like a story."

"You want to hear it?"

"Yes."

"Well, it all started during Thanksgiving my first year as Supergirl…"

* * *

Notes: Just the epilogue left.


	18. Epilogue

Notes: This is the last chapter of this story. I decided to go ahead and post it today along with chapter 17 since it's so short, and as a sort of thank you for everyone who's come with me on the journey this fic represents. This story was written as a gift for Iamsuperconfused as part of the Super Santa Femslash 2019 exchange over on AO3. I'm sorry I didn't have the whole thing done by the due date, but I hope the end result was worth the wait. To everyone who has read, left kudos and commented, thank you so much for the love and support this fic has gotten. I hope the ending is satisfying, and lived up to everyone's expectations.

* * *

July 10, 2019

Maggie smiled as Kara sat down next to her and passed over a Noonan's cup.

"One large, black coffee, no sugar," Kara said. "You and your ridiculously complex coffee order."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Well, we can't all be Large Pumpkin Spice Latte, extra foam, with cinnamon on top."

"You do realize you two are disgusting, right?" Alex asked.

Maggie scoffed as she looked over at Alex and Kelly. "Pot, Kettle for you on line two."

"She has a point, you know," Kara said. "You two have been together what, three months?"

"Not quite," Kelly said.

"Oh, that's right. Your 'dativersary' isn't for two more days," Kara said.

"You're just jealous because you didn't think of it," Alex said.

"Or maybe you're jealous because I get to go home to my girlfriend every night," Kara said.

"Well, we can't all be uHaul lesbians," Alex said.

Maggie looked over at Kelly and saw the amusement she felt reflected back in Kelly's eyes.

"Are we going to have to separate you two?" Kelly asked.

Alex looked at Kelly. "I'll behave if she does."

"You started it," Kara said.

"Kara," Maggie said in a warning tone.

Kara turned towards her, and gave a little pout, and Maggie couldn't help but lean over and kiss it off her lips.

"Really?" Alex protested. "In front of my coffee?"

Maggie, Kara and Kelly all laughed, and when Maggie looked over, she saw a huge smile on Alex's face.

"Alex."

All of them turned at the sound of Alex's voice, spoken in a thick Russian accent. Astra stood there with a shy smile on her face, looking at Alex like she hung the moon. Her look had changed a lot over the last few months. She'd died her hair black and wore it in a pixie cut with a pair of glasses that were a different style from Kara's. the gold dot earrings Kara wore were replaced with small silver captive ball rings with a purple gem ball in them. Side by side, it was obvious she and Kara were twins, but they looked surprisingly different. Alex pulled away from Kelly enough to open her arms, and Astra did a small little hop of excitement before she stepped into the hug.

"Hey, you," Alex said. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good," Astra said. "Ms. Grant only threatened to five me five times yesterday. I think she's starting to like me."

"That's definitely a good sign," Alex said. "It took Kara almost a year to get that far."

Astra let go of Alex, and turned to Kelly, who already had a hug waiting for her. Maggie had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the slight blush that creeped into Astra's cheeks.

"It's good to see you, Kelly," Astra said.

"It's good to see you too," Kelly said as she let go.

"You know, I'm feeling a little left out over here," Maggie said.

Astra smiled and came around the table to give Maggie a big hug, before moving on to Kara. Astra had just let go of Kara when Maggie heard another voice.

"Hey, is it too late for me to get in on that?" Nia asked.

Astra turned and looked at Nia, and Maggie had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as Astra turned as red as Kara's cape.

"I… um… I…" Astra sputtered.

Nia just smiled and stepped in, hugging Astra tightly. Astra, for her part, turned slightly purple as she hugged Nia back. Once the hug was over, she just stood there staring at Nia in awe.

"Astra," Kara said gently.

Astra jumped a little and turned towards her. "Yes?" she squeaked.

"You're going to be late with Ms. Grant's latte," Kara said.

"You're right!" Astra said. She turned back to Nia. "It was lovely to see you again, Ms. Nia." She rushed off towards the counter before Nia going say a word.

"Well, she's actually speaking now," Nia said. "That's an improvement."

"Poor Nia," Maggie said. "Being so hot must be such a burden."

Nia sighed dramatically. "It's my cross to bear."

"Is Brainy with you?" Alex asked.

"No," Nia said. "He didn't sleep over last night. He said something about some analysis he had to run at the DEO to see if he could find Lex. I don't think he left last night."

Alex shook her head. "I still want to know how that man disappeared out of a guarded medbay with a broken back, a shattered pelvis, and six skull fractures."

"I don't know," Maggie said. "But we found him before. We'll do it again."

"Speaking of which, I have got to get to work," Alex said. She leaned over and kissed Kelly goodbye. "See you tonight?" she asked.

"I might be a little late," Kelly said. "The training with the Q-Wave machine might run a bit long."

"Okay. Text me when you leave work."

"I will. See you."

"See you."

Alex headed for the door and Kelly started gathering up her things. "That's actually my queue. I'm going to head out. See you tomorrow?"

"Same time, same place," Kara said.

Nia turned to Kara. "You ready?" she asked.

"Give me a minute?" Kara said.

"I'll wait by the door," Nia said. She leaned in and kissed Maggie on the cheek. "You be careful out there."

"I'm not the one who has to spend the day locked in a building with Cat Grant," Maggie said. She turned back to Kara. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Kara said. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you're seeing Lena for the first time in three months today."

Kara sighed. "It was her idea. I'm sure it will be fine."

"If you need me, just call," Maggie said. "I'll get my girlfriend to toss her into orbit for you."

Kara laughed, and the smile on her face was enough to make Maggie's heart skip a beat. She leaned in and kissed Kara, and just like every other time, it felt like home.

"What are you, J'onn and Susan up to today?" asked when the kiss was over.

"I think J'onn is still looking for that stolen guidance computer. Susan's working the doxing case. I'm tracing some property seized by the Children of Liberty."

"Promise me you'll be careful," Kara said.

"I promise. And if anything does happen," Maggie held up her arm, so Kara could see the signal watch.

"I love you," Kara said.

"I love you too," Maggie said. "Say hi to Lucy for me."

"I will," Kara said. She got up and headed towards the door, and Maggie watched her go, not quite sure how she'd gotten so lucky.

"Kara," she whispered, just before Kara was out the door. Kara turned back to look at her, and Maggie lifted her cup. "Here's to us."

Kara smiled and lifted her cup. "Here's to us."

Maggie couldn't hear the words, but she could see the love in Kara's eyes, and that was all she needed.


End file.
